Robert Abraham, 89, died on Sunday, May 28, 2017 at his home in Christiansburg. A native of Long Island, NY, he was a resident of SW Virginia for more than 60 years.
Bob is survived by his devoted wife of 66 years, Doris T. Abraham, and by his four children and their families: David Abraham and Mary Forti of Radford; Michael Abraham, his wife Jane, and their daughter Whitney of Blacksburg; Rick Abraham and his wife Allison and their children Alex, Dan, and Carly of Reston, VA; and Karen A. Snyder, her husband Bill and their children, Josh, Jeffrey and Katie of Gaithersburg, MD. Also surviving him are his sister Susan (Ginger) Marx of Hendersonville, NC and her family, and his brother, David K Abraham of Greenbelt, MD.
Bob was a graduate of VPI and worked for the US Forest Service prior to founding Christiansburg Printing, which was family owned for 50 years. He was an active member and officer of the Christiansburg-Montgomery Chamber of Commerce and in 1988 received their Outstanding Service Award. The Blacksburg Chamber of Commerce also named him Small Business Person of the year in 1992.
Bob was a 25-year member and past president of the Christiansburg Kiwanis Club, in which he coached their sandlot youth programs for many years.
Bob loved nature; he was a fisherman and hiker, and in his late fifties he became a scuba diver and underwater photographer. In retirement he enthusiastically resumed his boyhood passion of birding and became quite talented at bird photography.
Services will be held in the chapel of McCoy Funeral Home this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. The service will be conducted by Kathy Cohen, Rabbi of Temple Emanuel, Roanoke, where the Abrahams are long time members. A reception will follow at The Hillel Center in Blacksburg.
In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Bob are asked to donate to the New River Valley Bird Club (PO Box 361, Blacksburg, VA 24063-0361), VA Society of Ornithology (PO Box 5994, Williamsburg, VA 23188), or Temple Emanuel (1163 Persinger Road, Roanoke, VA 24015).
Friends are invited to visit with the family at the Abraham residence this Sunday and Monday evenings from 7:00 – 9:00 pm.
