Floyd Abraham, 88

Published 12:00 am Thursday, August 20, 2009

Floyd Abraham, 88, of Mooresville, N.C., peacefully passed away under Iredell Hospice care at Lake Norman Regional Medical Center in Mooresville on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009.
Beloved father, grandfather and brother, Floyd is survived by his sister, Vivian; sister-in-laws, Darlene of New Richland, Mickie Razek of Cleveland, Ohio, JoAnne Nikolou of Regina, Saskatchewan, and Connie Abdoulah of Scottsdale, Ariz.; his daughter, Sandra and her husband, Steve Anderson, of Eagan; son, Ken and his wife, Diana, of Peterborough, ON, and their children, Edward and Katherine, of Toronto, ON; and son, Mitch and his wife, Priscilla, and their children, Carissa, Courtney and Nathan, and his great granddaughter, Cailynn Winford, of Mooresville, N.C. He is further survived by many loving nieces, nephews and cousins.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Helen; sons: Stephen and Stuart; parents, Attalla and Bertha; brother, Clarence; and sisters: Gladys, Alvina, and Rose.
Floyd was born on April 7, 1921, in Lake Mills, Iowa. He grew up in New Richland where he graduated from high school in 1940. He served in the US Army during World War II from July 1942 to January 1946 with postings in Texas, California, England, France and Germany. At the end of the European Campaign, he was attached to Headquarters, Berlin District, and served at the Potsdam Conference. He married Helen Abdoulah of Regina, Saskatchewan in 1946 and lived the majority of his life in his home town, where he was in business as a grocer with his family.
Floyd actively participated in community life and was a member of the Volunteer Fire Department (retired), the Commercial Club (Chamber of Commerce), and the American Legion Andrew Borgen Post 75. He retired from the grocery business in 1988 and enjoyed gardening, family visits and the occasional trip to a casino.
In 2008, he moved to North Carolina to live with his son, Mitch and family, and to enjoy the warmth of climate and people that he found there. In Mooresville, he quickly became part of the community and was well known and liked by many new friends. A crowning moment of his North Carolina life was his participation in the World War II Veterans Flight of Honor and he was grateful for this wonderful opportunity provided by the Rotary District 7680.
Special thanks to the North Wilkesboro Rotary Club for its sponsorship of Dad. In his last two years, he struggled with health issues, but was blessed with a community of health care workers who took him into their hearts and responded to his always good nature and positive attitude. For this, the family truly gives our deepest thanks and respect to all for your gracious service to him in his time of need.
The family will receive friends from 5 to 7 p.m. Thursday at Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, N.C., followed by an Orthodox funeral service at 7 p.m. in the chapel officiated by the Rev. Gregory Waynick. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Friday at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 454 Fieldstone Road, Mooresville, N.C., with the Rev. Johnny C. Cozart officiating. Interment with full military honors will be held at St. Olaf Cemetery in New Richland on Sunday at 3 p.m. The family will receive friends from 2 to 3 p.m., prior to the service at Friedrich Funeral Home, 217 Division Street West, New Richland. Memorials can be sent to the American Red Cross Transportation, 200 Overhill Drive, Suite A, Mooresville, N.C. 28117, Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County, 2347 Simonton Road, Statesville, NC 28687, Lake Norman Dialysis, 164 Professional Park Drive, Mooresville, NC 28117, and the www.flightofhonor.org program through Rotary District 7680 at P.O. Box 495, Gastonia, N.C. 28053. Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, N.C., is serving the family of Mr. Abraham.