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Obituaries
Abby Clark Pruett
Abby Clark Pruett passed away peacefully on August 23, 2021 surrounded by family in Carrollton, Virginia. She was the daughter of Jimmy Clark of Hickory, NC, and the late Donna Trowbridge Clark and was the beloved wife of Peter Pruett and devoted mother to Karli (16) and Joeli (14).
Abby grew up a military brat and traveled throughout the US and Europe. As a child, she visited Civil War battlegrounds, Holocaust sites, Paris, the Black Forest, and east Berlin, among other travels. But she lived longest in Virginia and settled near the James River. In middle school, she was one of the first girls to play soccer on the local all-boys soccer team in Newport News, and she was a goalie for Denbigh High School’s field hockey team. A graduate of Appalachian State University, she worked for 17 years as a Data Analyst for Huntington Ingalls Industries.
As one of her favorite cousins said so aptly of Abby: “Her spitfire personality lit up every room she entered. She lived life like I think we all should – bold, loud, and proud.”
Devotion to family marked her entire life. She loved reunions and get-togethers and country cooking. She could whip up a casserole or dessert like nobody’s business, and she especially loved German, Polish, and Filipino cuisine (lechon was a particular favorite dish).
Abby made sure her family’s weekends were full, tasting and buying from Asian markets, screaming her head off at her daughters’ field hockey games in Smithfield, and boating on the James River.
From a tender age, you could not keep her out of the water. When she was just a toddler, she would wade into the ocean near Monterey at Big Sur, inevitably losing her diaper and streaking buck-naked. She loved the beaches in Florida and was married beachside in Jamaica. She crabbed in tidewater Virginia and fished in a pond on her Aunt Wyneise’s farm in Alabama. She had a particular fondness for sea turtles, manatees, and the dolphins that would follow in their boat’s wake on the James River.
Abby never lost her childhood joy. Nothing made her happier than simply watching Disney movies with her girls, sharing a love of Harry Potter, or introducing them to the complex sci-fi world of Star Wars. She knew every line from the first trilogy. With her family, she thrilled on the rollercoaster rides at Busch Gardens, and she still held onto the last shred of the blanket she carried around with her as a kid (her “bankie” or “night-night”.) During the Christmas season, she displayed ornaments and smokers from German Christmas markets, and she never tired of an annual viewing of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation with her family.
Abby relished sports competitions. She was an avid Duke basketball fan and came to love her husband’s team, the New York Giants. She enjoyed games in New York and most recently accompanied her father to see his beloved Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers. Though her extended Alabama family was split on their football rivalry, she rooted for the Auburn Tigers.
They say it takes a village, and Abby and her family were fortunate to be surrounded by a tight web of generous and fun-loving neighbors in Carrollton. She loved their frequent gatherings and oyster roasts but was known to sometimes slip quietly away to put on comfy pajamas and settle in with a good book. She shared her sister’s love of reading and devoured fiction.
Abby embraced life with fervor. She indulged her sweet tooth (she was particularly fond of Reese’s peanut butter cups). She appreciated the surprise of colors emerging every season from her hydrangeas, a favorite flower. She loved listening to country music, 80s tunes from her childhood, and especially her native Virginia’s Dave Matthews Band. She always kept Virginia peanuts on hand, and she rocked all the style trends, usually sporting flip-flops. She considered her boss a close friend, who introduced her to Southern Breeze black tea, which she religiously drank at the gym. She loved her rescue pup, Bentley, and was proud of the family’s big baby, the Bull Mastiff Sully, documenting his growth through frequently shared photos.
Abby was beloved by family, friends, and strangers alike. She had the bluest eyes, beautiful curly blonde hair, and a smile that never faded. Many of us will remember Abby laughing, most of all.
In addition to the large and tight-knit extended Pruett family, she leaves behind her sister Laurie Clark, her deeply loved extended family in Alabama, and nephews Ethan Stabile and Jayce Pruett.
There will be a visitation on Saturday, August 28 from 3:00-5:00 pm at the Peninsula Funeral Home, 11144 Warwick Blvd., Newport News, VA 23601. The CDC highly recommends masks for inside gatherings. A memorial service is tentatively planned for early October.
18 Comments
Rest In Peace Abby. Heaven has gained another angel!
Abby’s dad’s NC Forest Service family is mourning with you — we will continue to pray for your family.
It was wonderful to watch you fly high like the beautiful butterfly that you came to be. You will be forever missed! Keep flying Abby!
Great person and co-worker who will be greatly missed, God Bless
Our prayers go out to the Pruett and Clark families.
even though we had only met Abby on several occasions….I can tell this eulogy fits her to a tee…..our prayers and thoughts are with Peter, the girls, the entire family, and with her dad, Jim.
Abby’s passing leaves a great void in our lives at NNS. Your co-workers relied heavily on your energy and drive to help us through many a day. You will be greatly missed.
Pete, Karli & Joeli, I cannot imagine what you are going through, but know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. Trust in God’s grace and strength.
My deepest sympathies for the Clark and Pruett families…Rest in Peace, Abby.
Rest in peace and fly high with the angels… I’m sure your mom and my mom are going to show you the ropes and you will be with family again and hopefully waiting for the rest of us with that beautiful smile and crystal blue eyes…. You had a beautiful heart and we’re always very genuine… You will be missed and we truly love you with all of our heart…
God Bless you Abby, and the beautiful legacy you have left here with us. May perpetual light shine upon you.
Rest In Peace
I was just a neighbor but you will be greatly missed by many. You made a permanent stamp on many peoples lives. You’re no longer suffering tho and will see your family as soon as you know it.
My heart is aching. What a nice nice friend from Carisbrooke Pool. My deepest sympathyto the family. She is in God’s hands. Love to all
We never met Abby in person, but knew her through her her dad Jimmy and her mom Donna (deceased), when we were neighbors in Hickory, NC. Sending our thoughts and prayers to the Pruett family, to Jimmy and Laurie.
We were neighbors with the Clark’s in the early 80’s at Ft Eustis VA. Abby and my oldest son played soccer together on the Orange Crush team. Deepest condolences to the Clark & Pruitt families.
Words cannot express how truly sorry I am to hear of Abby’s passing. She was an amazing person, and she will be greatly missed……
Rest in Peace Abby, I will miss you and you texting Bill with his “You Seek Yoda” message tone for you. It made the days at work go by quicker. Goodbye My friend, until later.
Abby you left us so young but you will not be forgotten! Your laughter and fun loving spirit will always be remembered. The NNS family has lost a treasure. Rest well my friend.