Obituary: William Abbott, 67

William C. (Bill) Abbott, who retired from the Internal Revenue Service in 2006, died at home in Washington on May 22 from a heart condition. He was 67.

Abbott was born in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 13, 1944. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in 1965, where he also earned a master’s degree. Abbott did some post-graduate work in political science at the University of Tennessee. He taught political science for several years at East Tennessee State University.

Abbott had 35 years of federal government service, including in the U.S. Army Aviation System Command, St. Louis, Mo.,; U.S. Army Computer Systems Support & Evaluation Command, Washington; U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Va.; and the Social Security Administration, Woodlawn, Md.

Abbott also worked at the IRS Headquarters from 1981 to 2006 where he was well known in the Procurement Division. He was highly valued at the IRS for his ability to recall contracting regulations and the fine details of contracts.

Abbott was known for his ability to remember historical names and facts. He kept meticulous records of American politicians and British royalty and was an avid collector of antiques. He enjoyed playing bridge.

He was preceded in death by his partner, Steve Crick, who died in 1988.

He is survived by his brother, Edward Abbott and several friends.

A memorial event is planned. Those interested in attending should call Gerry Woods at 202-494-2131.