Abbott Allen Brayton, 74, a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, professor, businessman and author, passed away peacefully at Canterfield of Oak Ridge, TN, on January 13, 2017, from complications of multiple strokes.
Abbott was born in Medford, MA, on Dec. 15, 1942, to Elinor Foster Allen Brayton and the Rev. Douglas Percy Brayton. He was the second of three children in a family that moved to Stowe, VT, in 1954, when his father began a long tenure as the minister of the picturesque Stowe Community Church. While in high school, Abbott earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, won a state soccer championship under coach (and, afterward, lifelong friend) Bill Skiff, and worked with his older brother Benjamin at The Lodge at Smuggler's Notch, a fine mountain resort. He graduated from Stowe High School in 1960, and continued working at The Lodge, to support his studies in political science at the University of Vermont, when he met and fell in love with Esta Clarice Kinney, the daughter of Alice Rossier Kinney and Nathan Lyle (Jack) Kinney of Morrisville, VT. She was a nursing student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. They married on August 10, 1963.
Abbott and Esta enjoyed nearly 53 years of marriage together. Both were bright and capable people, and Abbott was especially driven to succeed professionally. At graduation from college at UVM in 1964, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served as a military police officer for three years of active duty in Stuttgart, West Germany, before returning to the states in 1967 so he could complete his master's degree at UVM. They moved to Tucson, AZ, where Abbott completed his PhD at the University of Arizona. In 1971, he accepted a position as assistant professor at East Tennessee State University. During his 16 years at ETSU, he earned tenure, full professorship and served in several administrative roles, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He co-authored the text The Politics of War and Peace, wrote chapters in five books, and published articles in numerous academic journals. He left Johnson City in 1987 to become the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV.
Abbott left academia in 1994 to partner with longtime friend David Bell to create Bell Wealth Management in Burlington VT. Later that same year, Abbott retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Colonel, having served our country for 31 years. He was an expert in mobilization strategies, was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College, commanded at the brigade level, and served as Deputy Chief of the Political-Military Division of the Pentagon, which is responsible for all international policy for the U.S. Army.
After Abbott's retirement from Bell Wealth Management in 2010, he and Esta lived in Knoxville, TN, during the winter, so they could be closer to children and grandchildren. They found sanctuary during warmer months at the house that they and brother in-law Norman Kinney built on Lake Eden, VT. Wherever they lived, Abbott and Esta were actively involved in church and community organizations. He was a proud member of Rotary International. They loved to travel the world. Never someone to sit still during his retirement, he published two historical novels, Outpost Scotland in 2012 and The Highland Brigadier in 2014. Esta died of acute B-cell lymphoma on March 23, 2016. Abbott was finishing a third novel when he fell ill while visiting Italy in October 2016.
Abbott and Esta complemented each other well. They both had great intelligence, mental toughness and were devout in their faith. A registered nurse, Esta was always calm and firm with the most difficult of personalities and situations. She showed great empathy, taught forgiveness and refused to give up on anyone. No one was disposable and that spirit was a magnet for drawing people close to her. Even the strongest were vulnerable to her powers. Abbott was devoted to her and their extensive family.
Abbott always had a commanding presence. He was accustomed to making difficult decisions. He had an exceptional memory for details and had broad knowledge of many topics, but especially philosophy, history, military and political science. He was focused, brisk, and liked to have plenty to do. He liked staying physically fit. To some, he could seem formal, even intimidating. To others, he would reveal the warmth and the genuinely sincere desire to understand all things that comprised his core nature. He was a true man among men. When he was together with Esta, they represented the best traits of our family.
Abbott's funeral service is 1pm, Jan. 20, 2017, at Westminster Presbyterian Church., 6500 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN. A memorial service at Stowe Community Church and the interment of both Abbott and Esta's ashes at Eden (VT) Cemetery is to be scheduled.
Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel
Abbott was born in Medford, MA, on Dec. 15, 1942, to Elinor Foster Allen Brayton and the Rev. Douglas Percy Brayton. He was the second of three children in a family that moved to Stowe, VT, in 1954, when his father began a long tenure as the minister of the picturesque Stowe Community Church. While in high school, Abbott earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, won a state soccer championship under coach (and, afterward, lifelong friend) Bill Skiff, and worked with his older brother Benjamin at The Lodge at Smuggler's Notch, a fine mountain resort. He graduated from Stowe High School in 1960, and continued working at The Lodge, to support his studies in political science at the University of Vermont, when he met and fell in love with Esta Clarice Kinney, the daughter of Alice Rossier Kinney and Nathan Lyle (Jack) Kinney of Morrisville, VT. She was a nursing student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. They married on August 10, 1963.
Abbott and Esta enjoyed nearly 53 years of marriage together. Both were bright and capable people, and Abbott was especially driven to succeed professionally. At graduation from college at UVM in 1964, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served as a military police officer for three years of active duty in Stuttgart, West Germany, before returning to the states in 1967 so he could complete his master's degree at UVM. They moved to Tucson, AZ, where Abbott completed his PhD at the University of Arizona. In 1971, he accepted a position as assistant professor at East Tennessee State University. During his 16 years at ETSU, he earned tenure, full professorship and served in several administrative roles, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He co-authored the text The Politics of War and Peace, wrote chapters in five books, and published articles in numerous academic journals. He left Johnson City in 1987 to become the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV.
Abbott left academia in 1994 to partner with longtime friend David Bell to create Bell Wealth Management in Burlington VT. Later that same year, Abbott retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Colonel, having served our country for 31 years. He was an expert in mobilization strategies, was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College, commanded at the brigade level, and served as Deputy Chief of the Political-Military Division of the Pentagon, which is responsible for all international policy for the U.S. Army.
After Abbott's retirement from Bell Wealth Management in 2010, he and Esta lived in Knoxville, TN, during the winter, so they could be closer to children and grandchildren. They found sanctuary during warmer months at the house that they and brother in-law Norman Kinney built on Lake Eden, VT. Wherever they lived, Abbott and Esta were actively involved in church and community organizations. He was a proud member of Rotary International. They loved to travel the world. Never someone to sit still during his retirement, he published two historical novels, Outpost Scotland in 2012 and The Highland Brigadier in 2014. Esta died of acute B-cell lymphoma on March 23, 2016. Abbott was finishing a third novel when he fell ill while visiting Italy in October 2016.
Abbott and Esta complemented each other well. They both had great intelligence, mental toughness and were devout in their faith. A registered nurse, Esta was always calm and firm with the most difficult of personalities and situations. She showed great empathy, taught forgiveness and refused to give up on anyone. No one was disposable and that spirit was a magnet for drawing people close to her. Even the strongest were vulnerable to her powers. Abbott was devoted to her and their extensive family.
Abbott always had a commanding presence. He was accustomed to making difficult decisions. He had an exceptional memory for details and had broad knowledge of many topics, but especially philosophy, history, military and political science. He was focused, brisk, and liked to have plenty to do. He liked staying physically fit. To some, he could seem formal, even intimidating. To others, he would reveal the warmth and the genuinely sincere desire to understand all things that comprised his core nature. He was a true man among men. When he was together with Esta, they represented the best traits of our family.
Abbott's funeral service is 1pm, Jan. 20, 2017, at Westminster Presbyterian Church., 6500 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN. A memorial service at Stowe Community Church and the interment of both Abbott and Esta's ashes at Eden (VT) Cemetery is to be scheduled.
Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel
Abbott Allen Brayton, 74, a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, professor, businessman and author, passed away peacefully at Canterfield of Oak Ridge, TN, on January 13, 2017, from complications of multiple strokes.
Abbott was born in Medford, MA, on Dec. 15, 1942, to Elinor Foster Allen Brayton and the Rev. Douglas Percy Brayton. He was the second of three children in a family that moved to Stowe, VT, in 1954, when his father began a long tenure as the minister of the picturesque Stowe Community Church. While in high school, Abbott earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, won a state soccer championship under coach (and, afterward, lifelong friend) Bill Skiff, and worked with his older brother Benjamin at The Lodge at Smuggler's Notch, a fine mountain resort. He graduated from Stowe High School in 1960, and continued working at The Lodge, to support his studies in political science at the University of Vermont, when he met and fell in love with Esta Clarice Kinney, the daughter of Alice Rossier Kinney and Nathan Lyle (Jack) Kinney of Morrisville, VT. She was a nursing student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. They married on August 10, 1963.
Abbott and Esta enjoyed nearly 53 years of marriage together. Both were bright and capable people, and Abbott was especially driven to succeed professionally. At graduation from college at UVM in 1964, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served as a military police officer for three years of active duty in Stuttgart, West Germany, before returning to the states in 1967 so he could complete his master's degree at UVM. They moved to Tucson, AZ, where Abbott completed his PhD at the University of Arizona. In 1971, he accepted a position as assistant professor at East Tennessee State University. During his 16 years at ETSU, he earned tenure, full professorship and served in several administrative roles, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He co-authored the text The Politics of War and Peace, wrote chapters in five books, and published articles in numerous academic journals. He left Johnson City in 1987 to become the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV.
Abbott left academia in 1994 to partner with longtime friend David Bell to create Bell Wealth Management in Burlington VT. Later that same year, Abbott retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Colonel, having served our country for 31 years. He was an expert in mobilization strategies, was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College, commanded at the brigade level, and served as Deputy Chief of the Political-Military Division of the Pentagon, which is responsible for all international policy for the U.S. Army.
After Abbott's retirement from Bell Wealth Management in 2010, he and Esta lived in Knoxville, TN, during the winter, so they could be closer to children and grandchildren. They found sanctuary during warmer months at the house that they and brother in-law Norman Kinney built on Lake Eden, VT. Wherever they lived, Abbott and Esta were actively involved in church and community organizations. He was a proud member of Rotary International. They loved to travel the world. Never someone to sit still during his retirement, he published two historical novels, Outpost Scotland in 2012 and The Highland Brigadier in 2014. Esta died of acute B-cell lymphoma on March 23, 2016. Abbott was finishing a third novel when he fell ill while visiting Italy in October 2016.
Abbott and Esta complemented each other well. They both had great intelligence, mental toughness and were devout in their faith. A registered nurse, Esta was always calm and firm with the most difficult of personalities and situations. She showed great empathy, taught forgiveness and refused to give up on anyone. No one was disposable and that spirit was a magnet for drawing people close to her. Even the strongest were vulnerable to her powers. Abbott was devoted to her and their extensive family.
Abbott always had a commanding presence. He was accustomed to making difficult decisions. He had an exceptional memory for details and had broad knowledge of many topics, but especially philosophy, history, military and political science. He was focused, brisk, and liked to have plenty to do. He liked staying physically fit. To some, he could seem formal, even intimidating. To others, he would reveal the warmth and the genuinely sincere desire to understand all things that comprised his core nature. He was a true man among men. When he was together with Esta, they represented the best traits of our family.
Abbott's funeral service is 1pm, Jan. 20, 2017, at Westminster Presbyterian Church., 6500 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN. A memorial service at Stowe Community Church and the interment of both Abbott and Esta's ashes at Eden (VT) Cemetery is to be scheduled.
Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel
Abbott was born in Medford, MA, on Dec. 15, 1942, to Elinor Foster Allen Brayton and the Rev. Douglas Percy Brayton. He was the second of three children in a family that moved to Stowe, VT, in 1954, when his father began a long tenure as the minister of the picturesque Stowe Community Church. While in high school, Abbott earned the rank of Eagle in the Boy Scouts, won a state soccer championship under coach (and, afterward, lifelong friend) Bill Skiff, and worked with his older brother Benjamin at The Lodge at Smuggler's Notch, a fine mountain resort. He graduated from Stowe High School in 1960, and continued working at The Lodge, to support his studies in political science at the University of Vermont, when he met and fell in love with Esta Clarice Kinney, the daughter of Alice Rossier Kinney and Nathan Lyle (Jack) Kinney of Morrisville, VT. She was a nursing student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. They married on August 10, 1963.
Abbott and Esta enjoyed nearly 53 years of marriage together. Both were bright and capable people, and Abbott was especially driven to succeed professionally. At graduation from college at UVM in 1964, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He served as a military police officer for three years of active duty in Stuttgart, West Germany, before returning to the states in 1967 so he could complete his master's degree at UVM. They moved to Tucson, AZ, where Abbott completed his PhD at the University of Arizona. In 1971, he accepted a position as assistant professor at East Tennessee State University. During his 16 years at ETSU, he earned tenure, full professorship and served in several administrative roles, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. He co-authored the text The Politics of War and Peace, wrote chapters in five books, and published articles in numerous academic journals. He left Johnson City in 1987 to become the Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty at Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, WV.
Abbott left academia in 1994 to partner with longtime friend David Bell to create Bell Wealth Management in Burlington VT. Later that same year, Abbott retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Colonel, having served our country for 31 years. He was an expert in mobilization strategies, was a graduate of the Command and General Staff College and the Army War College, commanded at the brigade level, and served as Deputy Chief of the Political-Military Division of the Pentagon, which is responsible for all international policy for the U.S. Army.
After Abbott's retirement from Bell Wealth Management in 2010, he and Esta lived in Knoxville, TN, during the winter, so they could be closer to children and grandchildren. They found sanctuary during warmer months at the house that they and brother in-law Norman Kinney built on Lake Eden, VT. Wherever they lived, Abbott and Esta were actively involved in church and community organizations. He was a proud member of Rotary International. They loved to travel the world. Never someone to sit still during his retirement, he published two historical novels, Outpost Scotland in 2012 and The Highland Brigadier in 2014. Esta died of acute B-cell lymphoma on March 23, 2016. Abbott was finishing a third novel when he fell ill while visiting Italy in October 2016.
Abbott and Esta complemented each other well. They both had great intelligence, mental toughness and were devout in their faith. A registered nurse, Esta was always calm and firm with the most difficult of personalities and situations. She showed great empathy, taught forgiveness and refused to give up on anyone. No one was disposable and that spirit was a magnet for drawing people close to her. Even the strongest were vulnerable to her powers. Abbott was devoted to her and their extensive family.
Abbott always had a commanding presence. He was accustomed to making difficult decisions. He had an exceptional memory for details and had broad knowledge of many topics, but especially philosophy, history, military and political science. He was focused, brisk, and liked to have plenty to do. He liked staying physically fit. To some, he could seem formal, even intimidating. To others, he would reveal the warmth and the genuinely sincere desire to understand all things that comprised his core nature. He was a true man among men. When he was together with Esta, they represented the best traits of our family.
Abbott's funeral service is 1pm, Jan. 20, 2017, at Westminster Presbyterian Church., 6500 S. Northshore Drive, Knoxville, TN. A memorial service at Stowe Community Church and the interment of both Abbott and Esta's ashes at Eden (VT) Cemetery is to be scheduled.
Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel
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