Livingstone was welcomed into the kingdom of heaven on January 28, 2021. A devout Christian, Livingstone led his life in strict Christian faith and adherence to Christian values and the bible. In addition to his love of Christ was his commitment to his family in Nigeria and his drive to pursue chemical science.
Livingstone was born in Port Harcourt/Brass, Nigeria August 16, 1950. Both parents, Obitere and Leonard Abali are predeceased. Livingstone’s predeceased siblings include Cockins Abali, Engr. Inaboye Abali, and Isidadon Abali. Surviving siblings include Iyibo Abali, Nwokoma Abali, Jacob (Azibola) Abali, Christian Abali, Arumobhel Abali, Minarabigh Abali, Stella Abali, and Florence Abali. Livingstone was named after the great African Explorer and Missionary Dr. David Livingstone. A couple of quotes from Dr. David Livingstone appropriately capture Livingstone Abali’s life: “I will place no value on anything I have or may possess except in relation to the kingdom of Christ” and “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all”.
As a young man, Livingstone was baptized as an Anglican Christian from St. Mark’s Church, Otakeme, Ogbia Division, Rivers State, Nigeria. His journey to the US began in 1973 when Livingstone was awarded a governmental scholarship from Nigeria. Livingstone refined his knowledge of Christ and Christianity shortly after coming to the US and soon proclaimed to throw away denominational bias. Livingstone attended many different churches in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Livingstone had a great singing voice and loved to sing hymns!
His educational endeavors that led him to the US resulted in an impressive education in chemistry and chemical engineering. He studied at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), Worcester, MA, Chemical Engineering, Eastern Nazarene College, Quincy, MA, Chemistry, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and Boston, Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. Livingstone received assistance and guidance from the Diocese of Western Massachusetts that was critical to Livingstone’s attendance at Eastern Nazarene College, where Livingstone could flourish both in his Christian life and in his interest in chemistry. Ultimately, Livingstone held a BS in Chemistry from Eastern Nazarene College that led him to successful opportunities at the Cabot Corporation, the Shipley Company, and Polysar, Inc. Livingstone had unique and original polymer ideas for coatings, medical applications, and other industrially important applications that resulted in the formation of the Abali Chemical Company, of which Livingstone was the president and CEO.
A frequent visitor to most local libraries in central Massachusetts, Livingstone especially liked spending time in the libraries at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. As a lifelong member of the American Chemical Society, Livingstone read every issue of Chemical and Engineering News and often followed up on leads he read about. In addition to reading the Bible and becoming well-versed in its contents, Livingstone also was a regular reader of Christianity Today. There were many “angels” that encouraged Livingstone, especially his friends and faculty he met while attending Eastern Nazarene College. Having formed strong ties with these friends and faculty, Livingstone kept in touch with many of his Eastern Nazarene acquaintances.
It is very important to highlight Livingstone’s impact he had on his acquaintance’s during his life. Livingstone was a devote supporter of his Nigerian family and had incredible faith rooted in Christianity that was apparent to everyone he met. Livingstone’s mannerism in person was remarkably friendly to people who knew him, and even to those who were casual acquaintances or people he was meeting for the first time. It can be said that one of Livingstone’s hobbies was letter writing. He frequently wrote eloquent and encouraging letters to his many friends and family both in the US and Nigeria. Letters written by Livingstone were always optimistic, inspirational, and contained messages of God’s grace.
Friends can provide testimony of, and will miss, Livingstone’s unwavering emotional support and ending every letter of correspondence with, “may the Lord richly bless you and your family”, or “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you”.
Gifts in Livingstone’s memory can be made to The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts, https://www.diocesewma.org/donate/.