James Abbott (jimct)

It is with a very heavy heart that I bring the news of fellow board member Jim Abbott’s passing. Jim (jimct) and I connected here on the forum back in 2006 when he first joined, and over the years, he has become one of my best friends.

Jim was more knowledgeable and passionate about music and radio than anyone else I knew, having spent many years on-air at WAVZ and KC101 as Jim McNeil, as well as handling music director duties during his time there. Additionally, Jim was the sports play-by-play announcer at his alma mater’s radio station, WNHU. Locally, however, Jim was best known for his 1960s and 1970s weekly oldies show on WNHU, which he hosted by his real name, Jim Abbott, for 30 years between 1978 and 2007.

Jim loved helping others, and during his time at WNHU he acted as a mentor to students in the broadcasting program. Using his contacts in the industry, he would often find internships and even jobs for UNH students looking to start a career in radio.

Outside of radio, Jim was an avid record and CD collector, and he worked on music projects with several of us here on the forum. If one of us had a question about a song version that appeared on a 45 or promo CD, Jim could almost always assist, and he did without hesitation.

For those of us here who noticed Jim’s absence on the board, he suffered a stroke this past January. Regrettably, Jim was unable to recover and regain his health. Jim passed away peacefully yesterday evening at the age of 59.

Very sad news. He will truly be missed.

RIP, Jim. You were the undisputed King of the Promos.

Here's the most recent picture I have, which was taken during one of my visits to see him in West Haven. In recent years, Jim really enjoyed going for walks. Toward the end of 2016, he had done a 5-mile walk more than 450 days in-a-row! Whether it was blazing hot or the ground was covered in knee-deep snow, Jim faithfully went on his daily walk. One of the things he occasionally enjoyed doing at the end of the walk was stopping for ice cream at a local shop down the street from his place. The girl at the counter took this picture of us on my iPhone in September 2015.

So sad to hear this. Jim always treated me like gold.
This board will certainly be less without his knowledge.

RIP Jim Abbott - I never knew him but will miss his "Jim CT" posts regarding timing and other issues.