Richard (Dick) Donald Abbott, 81, of Delaware Township, New Jersey, passed away at the Center for Hope Hospice in Scotch Plains, NJ, with his family by his side on August 12, 2022.

He was born to the late Willard and Marion Abbott in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Dick graduated from Penncrest High School in Lima, Pennsylvania in 1959 and earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1968, majoring in economics and minoring in classical music.  Dick was a veteran of the United States Air Force where he proudly served from 1959 to 1963, principally keeping the boilers running at Thule Air Base in Pituffik, Greenland.

Dick had a long and successful career on Wall Street as a municipal bond salesman with Stone & Webster Securities, Studley Shubert Investment Co., The Continental Insurance Company, The Savings Bank of Baltimore, Prescott, Ball and Turben, Kemper Securities, Everen and Asiel. After retirement, Dick continued to play the markets as a day trader from the basement of his 1740 farmhouse for many years and was always interested in the status of the financial markets.

He married Andrea (Andy) Kenyon in 1994, who sadly followed his death just 9 days later on August 21, 2022.  They lived together in Montclair before relocating to Stockton 22 years ago.  Dick is survived by his daughter, Gwendolynn Van der Zyppe, her husband Laurent, his brother and sister-in-law Ronald and Daina Abbott, nieces and nephews: Julia, Kate, Heather, Andrea, Braxton, Nathan and Neil. His sister and brother-in-law, Nancy and Dick Mattingly, preceded his death.

Dick loved the opera, classical and jazz music, passions which he developed while DJ’ing at a college radio station. He pursued his musical interest by taking classical guitar lessons and attending numerous performances at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, Carnegie Hall and various New York City jazz clubs.  Dick was also an avid single- and double-engine pilot who loved flying to Cape Cod, the Catskills and over Manhattan to buzz the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Centers where he worked for many years.

A joint gathering and celebration of life service for both Andrea and Dick will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2022, with the gathering from 1:00-2:00 p.m., followed by the service at 2:00 p.m., all in the Chapel of Wright & Ford Family Funeral Home and Cremation Services, 38 State Highway 31, Flemington, NJ. Please, under no circumstances, wear any black! Andrea and Dick were full of life so the brighter colors, the better!

Burial will follow at Rosemont Cemetery, Rosemont, NJ, and to which all are welcome. Following the interments, there will be a time of fellowship and food at Earl’s New American, 2400 Street Road, New Hope, PA 18938

You are encouraged to visit Richard’s permanent life celebration site at www.wrightfamily.com to light a candle of hope, leave messages of condolence, share words of comfort and recollection, and post photographs of his life.

Memorial contributions in Dick’s honor may be made to Center for Hope Hospice, 1900 Raritan Road, Scotch Plains, NJ, 07076​, or online by clicking HERE .

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Wright & Ford, your local, family owned & operated “Life Celebration Home”

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