Obituary - Dr. David Joe Abbott

Dr. David Joe Abbott died on Dec. 23, 2015, due to lung cancer.

His vigil service will be at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 3, 2016, followed by his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, 2016. Both services will be held at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church.

Those wishing to make a memorial donation can direct it to St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic School, St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church or the charity of the donor's choice.

Please visit Dr. Abbott's online memorial page at http://www.hollandbonine.com to leave a message of condolence for the family.

David was born in Mangum, Oklahoma, to David Spencer Abbott and Sybil Inez Faqua. These early years were during the Depression and dust bowl. The family moved from Oklahoma to New Mexico and David began school at Taos, New Mexico.

Soon they made another move, to Eagle Nest, New Mexico, where he completed his early years of elementary school. There were many other moves during the early World War II days ranging from New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, California and Colorado, where his parents worked in different war facilities. David completed high school in Wink, Texas, in 1949.

David joined the United States Navy in December 1950 and served as a Navy corpsman, 16 months, attached to the U.S. Marines in Korea. Prior to his overseas service, he had met and married Barbara Lea Green of Havre, Montana.

David returned to Havre following his military service, and rejoined his wife Barbara, whom he adored.

He was taught clinical laboratory and radiology by the staff at Sacred Heart Hospital and worked in that capacity while attending Northern Montana College.

While attending NMC he was elected student body president as a write-in candidate. He transferred to the College of Great Falls and earned a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. He was accepted for admission to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas and the family moved there in 1958. He earned his MD in June 1962, completed post-graduate training in New Orleans, Louisiana, and Galveston, Texas.

He joined his friend and medical school classmate in establishing his private practice in San Antonio, Texas.

Dr. Abbott moved his family and medical practice to Johnson City, Texas, in 1970. During the time their home was under construction, they lived on a ranch several miles from town and their landlord was Lyndon Johnson.

Over the course of the next several years, Dr. Abbott became a diplomat of the American Academy of Family Practice as well as a fellow of the American Board of Family Practice. He received an appointment to the clinical faculty in the Department of Family Practice of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. He eventually held the academic rank of clinical professor.

Dr. Abbott and his family returned to San Antonio and joined a family practice group. He continued in their group until 1992 at which time he accepted a full-time faculty position rather than part-time, which he had been for many years. Over the course of his medical school activities, he was chosen teacher of the year on two occasions.  

In 1993, he read an article about opportunities in the Indian Health Service and noted a position at Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. After further evaluation and a long appointing process, he and wife, Barbara, returned to her hometown of Havre, and Dr. Abbott worked at the Rocky Boy clinic. Later, Dr. Abbott transferred to a position at Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, where he served until his retirement from Civil Service.

Subsequently, his practice was as a contractor for locum tenens and practiced at Culbertson, Glasgow, Chester and Fort Belknap.

In 2011, Dr. Abbott no longer saw individual patients, but served as medical director of clinical laboratories at both Rocky Boy and Fort Belknap.

Dr. Abbott was preceded in death by his parents, David Spencer Abbott and Sybil Inez Fuqua; and a newborn sister who died from erythroblastosis fetalis.

Dr. Abbott is survived by his wife, Barbara Abbott of Havre; sons, David Kurt Abbott of Waxahachie, Texas, and Sean Preston Abbott (Lydia) of San Antonio, Texas; daughters, Leann Nicholson (Barney) of Jackson, Mississippi, and Jeanette Howell of Wharton, Texas; 10 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.