Lucretia Abbate

Waynesville, Lucretia Sue Dukes Abbate, age 80, passed away on Monday, March 21, 2016 at Memorial Mission Hospital. A native of Cedar Key, Florida, she was the daughter of Luke Dukes and Suzette Bishop Phillips. Most of her early life was spent in Gainesville, Florida. Lucretia was a former employee of LaHuis Clinical Lab in Miami, Florida. She received her nursing degree from Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, Florida. Lucretia was a First Lieutenant in the United States Air Force serving in the Nursing Department. She was stationed at Scott Air Force Base in St. Louis and Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. She was also certified to pilot single engine aircraft. Lucretia and her husband were active in Medical Mission work, where she taught English in Kunming, China and Medical Missions in Calcutta, India, Singapore and Kenya, Africa. She was a member of the Waynesville Altrusa Club and Lucretia was a nurse and administrator in her husband's medical practice from 1970 until 1982. Lucretia along with her husband were founding members of New Covenant Church. Her faith as a Christian was a virtue that she openly shared with others. Through her church she was active in prison ministry and Lucretia will be remembered as a gracious lady and friend to all she met. Her love for family and friends was a memory that will be cherished by all. Lucretia is survived by her husband of 49 years, Brazie-Guy Abbate, M.D.; three daughters, Michele Zaino, and her husband, Larry, of Huntersville, North Carolina, Monique Pascucci, and her husband, Michael, of Hicksville, New York and Francoise Dirusso, and her husband, Michael, of Suwanee, Georgia; one son Guy Abbate, of Middle Island, New York; several grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Guy and Lucretia also have two individuals whom they considered as their children, Deb Queen-Powell, and her husband, Jerry, of Canton and Curt Furtado, of Waynesville. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at New Covenant Church with Pastor Nick Honerkamp and Reverend Frank Harvey officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Lucretia Abbate & Brazie-Guy Abbate Medical Foundation, Wake Forest University Hospital, 01 Medical Center Blvd. Winston Salem, North Carolina 27157

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