Senate Resolution No. 3509

BY: Senator BRESLIN

MOURNING the death of Dr. John W. Abbuhl, renowned
pediatrician, distinguished citizen and devoted
member of his community

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Dr. John W. Abbuhl of Slingerlands, New York, died on
Saturday, January 6, 2018, at the age of 91; and

WHEREAS, Born on June 27, 1926, to the late Frederick and Gladys
Willmott Abbuhl in Troy, New York, John W. Abbuhl graduated from The
Albany Academy in 1943; as part of the wartime Navy V-12 program, he
went on to graduate from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Harvard
University; and

WHEREAS, While attending Albany Medical College, John W. Abbuhl met
his first wife, Audrey, and the couple was married the day of his
graduation in June of 1949; and

WHEREAS, John W. Abbuhl proudly served his country as a United
States Navy flight surgeon during the Korean War, during which time he
was briefly stationed in California and Japan; and

WHEREAS, Upon returning home, John W. Abbuhl completed his pediatric
residency at Albany Medical College in 1956, and immediately began his
illustrious career in pediatrics which spanned more than 50 years; and

WHEREAS, A founding partner of Schoolhouse Road Pediatrics, Dr. John
W. Abbuhl cared for and touched the lives of countless families in the
Capital District; he fondly recalled medicine prior to today's reliance
on technology, and coming of age in this era earned him a reputation as
a master diagnostician; and

WHEREAS, Dr. John W. Abbuhl retired from practice at Schoolhouse
Road Pediatrics in 2005, but continued to serve at the Parson's Child
and Family Center, now Northern Rivers Family Services, well into his
eighties; and

WHEREAS, In addition to his remarkable medical career, Dr. John W.
Abbuhl was the visionary behind the Pine Hollow Arboretum and the
Cornwallville Conservation Corporation; and

WHEREAS, Dr. John W. Abbuhl's love for old fashioned long bow
hunting led him to form a group of like-minded individuals with a goal
of acquiring and preserving land in the Northern Catskill Mountains in
the late 1960s; today, the Cornwallville Conservation Corporation has
successfully preserved over 1,000 acres of land in perpetuity; and

WHEREAS, In keeping with his love of and respect for the natural
world, Dr. John W. Abbuhl's passion for horticulture blossomed when he

and his young family moved to Pine Hollow Road in Slingerlands in 1966;
and

WHEREAS, It was there that he began to spend his free time
assiduously collecting and planting tree and woody plant specimens from
all over the world; this labor of love is now known as the Pine Hollow
Arboretum, a public, member-supported, not-for-profit arboretum and
nature center which includes over 3,300 specimens on 25 acres in the
heart of Slingerlands, the vast majority of which were planted by John's
own hands; and

WHEREAS, With a steadfast and unwavering dedication to his
community, Dr. John Abbuhl was a founding member and advisory board
member of the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy which now preserves more
than 5,000 acres of land in the region; in addition, he was a Trustee
Emeritus of Historic Cherry Hill in Albany, and staunch supporter of the
Fort Orange Wine Society; and

WHEREAS, Dr. John W. Abbuhl was blessed to enjoy remarkably vigorous
health, hiking, fishing, hunting and alpine skiing into his eighties,
truly displaying a vivaciousness that characterized his life and spirit;
and

WHEREAS, Predeceased by his first wife, Audrey, and his brother,
Willmott, Dr. John W. Abbuhl is survived by his wife of 28 years,
Katharine; four children, Stephanie (Michael), John (Dawn), Susan
(David) and Fred (Susan); and 10 grandchildren, Andrew, Peter, Benjamin,
Bryant, Jake, Katharine, Emily, Madeline, Lauren and Justin; as well as
four step-children and nine step-grandchildren; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Dr. John W. Abbuhl leaves behind a legacy which will long
endure the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all
he served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Dr. John W. Abbuhl, renowned pediatrician,
distinguished citizen and devoted member of his community; and be it
further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Dr. John W. Abbuhl.