George Abbott
Jan. 9, 1932-Feb. 9, 2023
Menlo Park, California

George B. Abbott passed away peacefully with family and friends by his side, due to complications of Parkinson’s, shortly after his 91st birthday.

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, George received his B.A. Economics/Math, Phi Beta Kappa, from Colorado College in 1953 and received his MBA from Stanford University in 1955.

After graduating from Stanford, George worked for W.R. Grace in San Francisco where he traveled to Guatemala and Honduras auditing the company’s coffee plantations. He also was a co-owner in the Abbott & Gibb Dodge-SIMCA dealership on Main Street in Los Gatos. In 1961, he joined Hewlett-Packard, where he held a variety of financial positions, first as a cost accountant in the Microwave Division. From 1969 to 1971 he served as region admin manager in the Eastern Sales Region in Paramus, New Jersey. In 1972 George became Director of Corporate Internal Audit. A 25-year position he held until retiring from HP in 1997.

George’s frequent travel with HP led him to serve on Pan Am’s Commercial Account Advisory Board to develop and enhance Business Air Travel. He was a member and past president of the Bay Area Institute of Internal Auditors.

George and his family visited HP facilities around the world. After retirement, he continued traveling to family’s vacation homes in Lake Tahoe and Pacific Grove. For many decades, he was an avid supporter of both Stanford’s football and men’s basketball teams, along with attendance at the AT&T golf tournaments at Pebble Beach.

George married Susan Sommerich in 1957. They had three sons: Michael, James, and Thomas. In 1983, he married Judith Eastwood. At the time of his death, they had been married 39 years.

George leaves behind his wife, Judy; his brother Bill (Jeanette) Abbott; sons Jim (Kelly) Abbott and Tom (Jennifer) Abbott; six grandchildren: Christopher, Kevin, Karlee, Kyle, Ryan, and Christine Abbott and four great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son, Michael in 2007.

A celebration of life in his honor will be held on September 02, 2023.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, George’s memorial gifts be sent to: Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey, CA 93940-1085

Tags: business