Raymond John Abate's Obituary
Raymond John Abate, 86, passed away April 29, 2016. He was born September 5, 1929 in Yonkers, New York to the late Frank and Susan Abate. In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by daughters, Margie and Karen.
Raymond served in the United States Coast Guard and later came to the Tampa Bay area in the early 60’s from Sarasota. He retired as a manager for GTE after 40 years and was a member of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church in Land O Lakes. He was also a member of the American Legion and the VFW.
Raymond was passionate about German Shepherds and always owned one or two throughout his adult life. He also enjoyed golf, running marathons and crossword puzzles. He was a sports fanatic and a loyal NY Yankees fan.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 34 years, Margie; step daughters, Jolana Boyd and Gina Nordstrom and her husband Daniel; grandchildren, Kristy Stoker and her husband Scott, Penny Magdziak, Jamie Boykin and her husband Craig, Marla and Anna; great grandchildren, Alexa, Brittany, Haley, Lauren, McKenzie, Justin, James, Joey and Chris; and great great grandchildren, Kali, Kash and Kylie.
There will be a visitation on Wednesday, May 4, 2016 from 12:00 to 1:00 PM at Sunset Funeral Home, 11005 N. US Highway 301, Thonotosassa, Florida 33592. Funeral will begin at 1:00 pm followed by interment and Military Honors in Sunset Memory Gardens.
Memorial contributions may be made in Raymond’s honor to the ASPCA online at www.spcatampabay.org or the St. Jude’s Hospital for Children’s Research at www.stjude.org. Memories and condolences may be left online at www.sunset-fh.com.
What’s your fondest memory of Raymond ?
What’s a lesson you learned from Raymond ?
Share a story where Raymond 's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Raymond you’ll never forget.
How did Raymond make you smile?