Mike Abell

Mike Abell, age 78, passed away of natural causes on Feb. 24, 2025, at the Atrium Hospital in Middletown, Ohio. 

There will be a celebration of Mike’s life sometime in the spring of this year.

Mike was born in Lincoln, Illinois, on June 1, 1946, to Victor and Nell (Robish) Abell. Mike graduated from high school in Lincoln, Illinois. He attended Springfield Junior College and enrolled in the U.S. Navy in 1966. He served as an electronics technician on the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt aircraft carrier during the Vietnam War until his honorable discharge in 1969. 

Mike worked for RCA Atlantic Fleets Weapons Range in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands from 1969 to 1978. While there he enjoyed diving and spearfishing.

He briefly worked for Purdue in 1979 before joining Nicollet (later acquired by GE) as a field service engineer based from his home in West Lafayette, Indiana.

Mike worked for Applied Materials in San Jose, California, from 1996 to 2001 and Intel Corporation in Colorado Springs, Colorado, from 2000 to 2001.

He was an avid amateur astronomer, actively involved with the Muncie Astronomy Club. His friend “Big” Mike Walker allowed Mike to build a personal observatory on his land near Portland, Indiana. He enjoyed building this observatory, named “Tall Timbers.” Mike imaged deep space objects, especially planetary nebulae. Some of Mike’s images are displayed on the Muncie Astronomy Club website. Mike enjoyed viewing the 2024 total solar eclipse, recalling his trip to Mexico with his long-time friend Bill Annis of Haines, Alaska, to view the eclipse in 1991.

Mike was proud to be 27 years sober and was appreciative of the support he received from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Mike was preceded in death by his parents Victor and Nell Abell; his older sister Barbara (Abell) Conley and her spouse Don Conley; niece Mary (Conley) Nivens; and nephews Chuck Conley and Mike Conley.

He is survived by his brothers Vic and Carol (Elson) Abell of West Lafayette; and Dave and Alicia (Susong) Abell of Arcata, California.

Known by many as “Uncle Mike,” he is survived by numerous nieces and nephews including Anne (Abell) Nichols of College Station, Texas, Mark and Tammy (Bixler) Abell of Greenville, Ohio, Tom and Lynne (Reddington) Abell of Eugene, Oregon, Catherine “Cathy” (Conley) Kihara of Havre, Montana, Ruth (Conley) and Rick Lagerquist of Plentywood, Montana, and Carol (Conley) and Grant Sather of Meridian, Idaho.

Mike was survived by numerous grandnieces and grandnephews and was especially close to his grandniece, Sarah Abell, and grandnephew, Andrew Abell. He is also survived by numerous great-grandnieces and great-grandnephews.

His family has requested that any memorial donations be made in Mike’s name to the American Heart Association at P.O. Box 840692, Dallas, TX 75284-0692, or online at heart.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at zecharbailey.com for the Abell family.