Abbie Austin Taylor passed away peacefully at the Henrietta Brewer House on Friday, August 1, 2025, after a valiant battle with dementia. Family, friends and caregivers were with her. She was 76.
Abbie was born in Farmington, Maine, on May 29, 1949, to Frank and Fonnie Austin. She was the middle child between two brothers, and if either of them thought they were in charge for even one second, Abbie let them know otherwise. Abbie attended Livermore Falls High School in Maine, and moved to the Vineyard in 1964 with her mother and her younger brother, Bill Austin. Abbie loved to share fantastic stories of that time in her life: the small apartment they lived in over Mosher Photo in Vineyard Haven, forgetting to reaffix gas caps when she worked for Bill Luce at Dukes County Garage, and working at the counter at Yates Pharmacy. She graduated from the regional high school in 1967, and attended UMass Amherst, graduating from there in 1971 with a degree in history. After graduation, she traveled through Europe with her best friend, Martha Luce, and then returned to the Vineyard to start her professional career. She went back to school in 1987, earning a master’s degree in hospital administration from Lesley College.
Abbie began working in the office at Schofield Brothers Land Surveying, and that was where she met her husband of 50 years, David Taylor. Dave continued to work at Schofield Brothers, and Abbie began working at the hospital in 1973. They married in 1975, and started their family in 1980, with Jane. Abbie continued to move up in the professional world at the hospital, and was the director of personnel in 1987, when their second daughter, Emily, arrived. Throughout 23 years at the hospital, Abbie worked many roles, culminating with CEO, an opportunity she was incredibly proud to have. Abbie also worked at the Black Dog as its director of human resources, for more than a decade until her retirement in 2010.
Abbie and Dave frequently visited her family in Maine. They purchased land on Clearwater Lake, and spent almost 30 years building a camp that their entire family enjoys. At the end of a summer day, Abbie could almost always be found on the porch, listening to loons and bullfrogs, while watching for the bald eagle that had a nest by the water’s edge. While the transition from Maine to the Vineyard was a challenging one for teenage Abbie, she always maintained close relationships with her family in Maine. They would have potlucks and cousins’ breakfasts, and always enjoyed a good yard sale together. She kept in close contact with all her first cousins with regular phone calls and visits.
While busy raising her family, Abbie enmeshed herself into our community and her children’s activities. She sewed costumes and directed ice shows that Jane participated in, and supported Emily and her friends in Girl Scouts, babysitting, and other extracurricular activities. Even more than her children, Abbie loved her grandchildren. She read books, danced and played with her granddaughters, and when her oldest granddaughter, Vianna, was a toddler, Abbie and Vianna would have morning story time on their back porch.
Like many folks with dementia, Abbie experienced moments of frustration and confusion. However, there were moments that reminded you she was still Abbie at her core. About a year before her passing, she asked her oldest daughter Jane to write her obituary. Jane obliged and read Abbie what she had written. On-brand even with dementia, Abbie told Jane that the obituary sounded nice, but she would like some changes. Dementia changed Abbie significantly, but her love of chocolate and the color red remained. Her favorite mug, a gift from her Aunt Abbie, read, “I never met a piece of chocolate I didn’t like.” Abbie passed her sweet tooth on to her daughters and her granddaughters: all four of those girls have never said no to chocolate.
Abbie is survived by her husband, Dave, of Vineyard Haven; her brother, Bill Austin, of West Tisbury; her brother, Danny Austin, and his wife Jane of Barrington, R.I; her daughters, Jane Taylor and Emily Baird, both of Vineyard Haven; her son-in-law, Jimmy Baird; and her granddaughters, Vianna and Josie. She is also survived by a large extended family in Farmington, Maine, and many close friends and former colleagues on the Island. Abbie’s family would like to extend their gratitude and sincere thanks to the folks at the Henrietta Brewer House and VNA Hospice for their care not just of Abbie, but of her family as well.
A private service will be held for Abbie at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a charitable donation in her memory to VNA Hospice, 25 Communication Drive, Hyannis, MA 02601, and by wearing the color red, or getting yourself a sweet chocolate treat.