Senate Resolution No. 207

BY: Senator BRESLIN

HONORING Dr. John W. Abbuhl posthumously upon the
occasion of his designation for special recognition
by Albany County at its Honor A Veteran Ceremony on
August 6, 2018

WHEREAS, Members of the Armed Services from the State of New York,
who have served so valiantly and honorably in wars in which this
country's freedom was at stake, as well as in the preservation of peace
in peacetime, deserve a special salute; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Dr. John W.
Abbuhl posthumously upon the occasion of his designation for special
recognition by Albany County at its Honor A Veteran Ceremony on Monday,
August 6, 2018, at Bethlehem Town Hall, Slingerlands, New York; and

WHEREAS, In June of 1993, a committee was formed by the Albany
County Veterans Bureau known as the Albany County Honor-A-Veteran
Committee; the committee was formed to honor a deceased Albany County
veteran, who has served his country in time of conflict; the Honor A
Veteran Program takes place monthly on the first Monday of each month;
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 with courage and
dedication 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; 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 trees 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 W. 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 died on Saturday, January 6, 2018, at
the age of 91; and

WHEREAS, Having exhibited his patriotism both at home and abroad,
Dr. John W. Abbuhl demonstrated his love for his country and merits
forevermore, the highest respect of his State and Nation; and

WHEREAS, Our Nation's veterans deserve to be recognized, commended
and thanked by the people of the State of New York for their service and
for their dedication to their communities, their State and their Nation;
now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Dr. John W. Abbuhl posthumously upon the occasion of his
designation for special recognition by Albany County at its Honor A
Veteran Ceremony on August 6, 2018; and be it further

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