Abbott Small, a long-time resident of Hartford, Connecticut died on June 30 in Washington, D.C. after a long illness. He was 62 years old. He was born in Miami, Florida, and at the age of nine moved with his family to Mexico City, where he was enrolled in the American School Foundation. An outstanding scholar and athlete, he graduated Valedictorian in the Class of 1963. He received a B.A. degree from Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania in 1967, and did post-graduate work at Kings College, Cambridge, England. A comparative literature major, Abbott was a published poet who brought a sense of social compassion and gentle irony to his poetry, and to everyone he touched in his life. One of his more memorable poems reads:

Abjuring the Devil

I love to hear the Devil moan
when he thinks he's quite alone—
Up in the sky or down in the sod,
he whimpers softly "My God, My God!"

Abbott was pre-deceased by his father, and is survived by his mother, two brothers, and two nieces. He had a wide circle of friends across many continents, and will be sorely missed.

On his headstone will be written his own brief verse:

"In this place,
in the stillness,
may the Word
be heard."

A visitation will be held at Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg, VA for family and friends on July 13, 2008 from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm. A memorial service will follow starting at 2:00 pm.

Memorial Donations may be sent to The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation at Reeve Foundation, 636 Morris Turnpike, Suite 39, Short Hills, NJ, 07078