ANTHONY RICHARD ABBOTT

A little bit of old Carson City died on Sunday, November 26th, with the passing of Anthony Richard Abbott. He was the second son of Douglas and Eva Pogue Abbott. Tony, as he was called, was born in Loma Linda, California on June 4th, 1945 and died after a long battle with a chronic illness.

Tony was known for a life-long love of animals, beginning with his early childhood on the family ranch in Surprise Valley, California, where he played with the bummer lambs next to the wood stove in his mother’s kitchen. When he was five, the family moved to Carson City where his mother became one of the first women to hold a Nevada Gaming license as a co-owner of the Carson Nugget. He was a familiar sight walking past the tables and slot machines after attending class at Carson City schools. The Northern Nevada casino industry was a tight-knit group in the 1950s and family events were celebrated together. Tony’s twelfth birthday party was in the showroom of Reno’s Riverside Casino with a young, up-and-coming entertainer named Wayne Newton singing “Happy Birthday” to him. When he wasn’t in class, or working as a waiter, Tony and his friends would roam the hills on the edge of town exploring old mines.

By the time he was in high school, Tony was accomplished enough as a horse trainer to work as a wrangler on the set of “The Misfits”, in both Dayton and the Mule Flat area of Stagecoach Valley in 1960. He said he found Marilyn Monroe to be warm but obviously troubled and caused numerous delays in filming. He loved telling the story of helping lift her up on her horse because he could say that he “touched Marilyn Monroe’s butt!" He described Clark Gable as aloof and distant, except for an incident where the horse Gable had lassoed spooked and ran across the flat with the actor in tow until he was caught by the trainer, "Corky" Randall and his crew. Gable later claimed that he had almost been skinned alive by the panicked horse.

Tony attended San Jose State College, majoring in automotive engineering and working summers at Hodges Transportation when they operated in the old V and T Roundhouse in Carson City. He transferred to Purdue University at his brother’s urging and spent two years in Indiana before moving to Montana and working as a guide and wrangler for several big game outfitters in the Selway/Bitterroot Mountains. He returned to Carson City to work again at Hodges Transportation on projects which included the development of the first Hummer vehicles for the U.S. military and then as the Manager of Human Resources for the Lippincott family’s Frontier Travel and Tours.

Before retiring, Tony taught accounting classes at Western Nevada College. At the request of Hugh Roy Marshall, he moved to the “ghost town” of Ione, to serve as the Ione community manager and engineer, coaxing life from the recalcitrant diesel generator which provided electricity for the town. He was the last man to leave Ione when the cinnabar lode played out and Hugh Roy closed the town in 2005. Tony returned to Carson City and obtained his Master Mechanic certificate and retired from full-time employment.

Tony loved reading, horseback riding, competitive target shooting, and silversmithing. He was especially proud of the many trophy belt buckles he hand made and engraved for local rodeo winners. He was also a long-time member of the Kiwanis Club of Carson City and served as a Reserve Deputy under former Sheriff Hal Dunn.

He was known for his expertise on Nevada’s rural communities, mining and ghost towns. A National Geographic magazine reporter was referred to Tony as a source for a report on the Black Rock Desert. She included a full-page picture of him in her story.

Tony is survived by his children, Diana and her husband Eric of Oakland, CA and Zane and his partner Darren of New York, NY; his brother Douglas of Aurora, CO; his nieces, Dr Sandra Abbott Gabbard of Aurora, CO, Dr Jodi Abbott of Boston, MA, Dr Traci Abbott Gallo of Needham, MA, and Shari Abbott of Chennai, India. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard E. Abbott and Eva D. (Pogue) Abbott.

He will be inurned with family in St. Helena in Napa Valley. A memorial service is being planned in the Carson City area for spring 2024. In lieu of flowers, his family requests that donations be sent to Carson City’s Meals-on-Wheels program through the Carson City Senior Center (https://www.carsoncityseniorc…)

The family wishes to express their sincere gratitude to Caregiver Shelby Owens and Natalie Berger of Nevada Aging & Disability Services for their selfless dedication, countless acts of kindness, and invaluable support for Tony during his illness.

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