Olive M. Abbott, 89, of Chester Road in Derry, died on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2002 at the Birchwood Nursing Home in Derry. She was born in Laconia, NH, on June 24, 1913, the daughter of the late Wesley A. and Eva (Frost) Abbott. A 1932 graduate of Laconia High School, she furthered her education at Plymouth State Normal School and the University of New Hampshire.
A resident of Derry since 1943, Miss Abbott was employed at Pinkerton Academy for 54 years before her retirement in 1997. During her dedicated service to the school, she taught English classes and served as Chairman of the English Department for 20 years, as its Librarian for 19 years, and for 15 years as the Academy’s 1st Alumni Historian. She also directed plays, produced the yearbook, presented seminars on Robert Frost at Pinkerton, and instituted the Florida Alumni Reunion held annually since its inception in 1985.
In recognition of her devotion to the Academy, the Alumni Association made her an Honorary Alumna, and The Board of Trustees presented her with the Academy’s prestigious Meritorious Service Award. In 1988, the gallery of the Alumni Center was named for her, and at the dedication of the Academy’s Center for the Arts and Humanities this past September, they named the Reception Area of the new facility in her honor.
Miss Abbott was a member of the Delta Kappa Gamma Society, an honorary scholastic society for teachers, a member of the Robert Frost Homestead Board of Trustees, and the Derry Historic Research Committee, helping to compile the book From Turnpike to Interstate, a history of Derry, NH.
Family members include two nephews, John W. Abbott of New Orleans, LA, and David H. Abbott of Apex, NC; two nieces, Dr. Virginia Anderson of Baltimore, MD, and Deborah Rader of Tahlequah, OK; and several grand nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held on Tuesday, November 19th at 2:00 at the Peabody Funeral Homes and Crematorium, 15 Birch Street, Derry. Friends may call at the funeral home on Monday, November 18th from 2 – 5. Following cremation, burial will be in the family plot in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Penacook, NH, at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to the Campaign for Pinkerton Fund, (which benefits the Academy’s arts and humanities), C/O The Alumni Office, 5 Pinkerton Street, Derry, NH 03038.