Freeland 'Chick' Abbott Jr., Former Arlington Town Meeting Member, Dies at 68

Freeland K. Abbott Jr., 68, of Barnstable and formerly of Arlington, died peacefully at home after a long illness on Sept. 8, 2013.

He was affectionately known to family and friends as “Chick.” He was predeceased by his parents, Freeland K. Abbott Sr. and Isabel Bennett Abbott. He is survived by his wife Janet Abbott of Barnstable; his son Freeland K. Abbott III and his wife, Susan, of Bishop, Ga.; his daughter Kimberly Callahan and her husband, Michael, of Milford; his sister Deborah Abbott of Harrisville, N.H.; his brother Ernest Abbott and his wife, Catherine, of McLean, Va.; his brother John Abbott of Cambridge; grandchildren Cody Callahan, Morgan Callahan, Liam Abbott, Kieran Abbott and Linnea Abbott; nephews and nieces Eric Jackson, Colin Kennard, Christopher Abbott, Timothy Abbott, Alexander Weldon and Dinah Wilner; and his devoted canine companion, Asia.

Chick was born at Fitzsimmons Army Hospital in Aurora, Colo. He attended Somerville public schools, Phillips Academy Andover and Swarthmore College before earning masters degrees from the University of Arkansas and the Air Force Institute of Technology. Chick served 22 years in the United States Air Force, retiring in 1988 at the rank of Lt. Col. His Air Force career included tours of duty at Keesler AFB (Biloxi, Miss.); USAF Accounting & Finance Center (Denver);  Karamürsel AFB (Turkey); Air Force Institute of Technology (Fairborn, Ohio); Hanscom AFB (Bedford, Mass.); Kirtland AFB (Albuquerque, N.M.); and Osan AFB (South Korea).

After retirement, Chick worked briefly for Logistics Systems Architects, and as an independent consultant for several defense contractors, before finding his true calling in local politics and community service. He was a member of Arlington Town Meeting, was twice elected to the board of the Arlington Housing Authority, served on numerous volunteer committees in Arlington, and was active in his church community. His recreational activities included hiking, camping, attending traditional music festivals, dancing, bridge, cooking, dining, and travel.

Memorial service at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church of Arlington, 630 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA 02476, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013 at 1 p.m., with reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to FINCA; The Nature Conservancy; HopeHealth, Hyannis MA; or a charity of your choice.