Hartford, VT - Trudy Abbott, 88, passed away with her family at her side at Dartmouth Hitchcock Memorial Hospital on September 23, 2017. Born Gertrude Lillian Olsen on February 11, 1929 in Rutland, Vermont. She was the daughter of William Karl Olsen and Margaret Carroll Olsen. Her family moved to Burlington, Vermont shortly after she was born. She attended Ira Allen Elementary School and Edmunds Junior and Senior High Schools (now Burlington High School).
Trudy met John Everett Abbott while he was attending the University of Vermont. They were married in Burlington in February 1948. They settled in John's hometown of Wilder where they lived in an apartment above the general store that John's parents owned and operated. She loved living in Wilder, walking to the post office, and attending the Congregational Church which was the social center of the community. She enjoyed volunteering on committees in Wilder including the Wilder Junior Guild, an organization with its main purpose of funding-raising for the church through suppers and an annual summer fair.
In 1954 Trudy and John purchased an historic 1898 home in Wilder, built by Eben Sargent of Norwich. She took part in every aspect of the remodeling process of the home for eight years. The house and her family were her dream in life as well as hosting family dinners and holiday gatherings. At the time of John's death in February 1967, Trudy was employed in the Art History Department at Dartmouth College. Her position involved organizing and cataloging the photos and slides of the College's huge collection of art and architecture, as well as interacting with professors and students.
In 1967 Trudy served jury duty in Woodstock, Vermont. There she met Victor Young, a fellow juror, who invited her to join Young Real Estate in White River Junction. This began a career as a real estate broker that spanned nearly four decades. In 1973, Trudy started her own real estate business which she operated in Norwich, Vermont for over thirty years. She held various offices in the Windsor/Orange Counties Board of Realtors and was one of the founding Realtors who started the Multiple Listing Service.
Trudy lived in Norwich for many years. For the last 25 years, she lived in a home that she designed in the Dothan District of Hartford. Through her work as a real estate broker, she met Daniel Smith, a building contractor in Norwich. The two formed a fruitful business partnership that led to many houses constructed on land that Trudy had listed. Being a part of shaping a home that a family would use for many years and purposes was truly a labor of love for her. Trudy and Dan married and enjoyed traveling as much as quiet evenings at home doing puzzles or watching classic films.
Trudy was a true Vermonter and loved every aspect of her country life. She volunteered to teach skiing for the Ford Sayre program, was a devoted contributor to the Kurn Hattin Home, and served as a trustee of the Hartford Village Library where she started a fundraising drive to convert the basement into a children's library. This was a successful endeavor thanks in no small part to Trudy and her ability to talk to anyone and enlist their support. Everyone who knew her fondly remembers her stories and jokes.
Trudy is predeceased by her first husband John Everett Abbott, her brother Roy Olsen and her sister Evelyn Bailey. She is survived by her son John William Abbott and his wife Betsy, grandchildren Patrick, Daniel, and Benjamin; her great-grandson Asa Wilder Abbott; her daughter Jane Abbott Sweatt and grandchildren Scott and Peter; and her husband Daniel T. Smith.
A Celebration of Life will be held Wednesday October 4th from 3-6pm at the Wilder Center in Wilder VT. All are encouraged to attend and share their stories of Trudy, in lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Kurn Hattin Home for Children PO Box 127 Westminster, VT 05158