EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK
By Ruth Luse
On Sunday, the Titusville community lost a man who had served Hopewell Valley and the region for well over 60 years.
He grew up at 3 Grant St. and lived the rest of his life at 4 Grant St. Little wonder that the riverside town and the Delaware River shaped his life both his work and volunteer efforts on behalf of his community.
To 80-year-old James E. "River Jim" Abbott, volunteering was a way of life. It probably never occurred to him that he was special. He was part of a society that believed that people have a responsibility to their neighbors and fellow human beings. That’s the way it was and always had been for Hopewell Valley’s old-timers. They worked, raised their families, and in what spare time they had, served their communities. In Mr. Abbott’s case, family had to take up quite a bit of his time. He and his wife, Ruth, brought up seven daughters.
By the way, Mr. Abbott got the nickname "River Jim," because of his knowledge and love of the Delaware River.
In December 2002, HVN Staff Writer John Tredrea had occasion to chat with "River Jim," who, after 51 years, was planning to give up his responsibilities as head of boat security for the annual Christmas Day re-enactment of George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River. He had done that job since 1952.
After serving his country in the U.S. Marine Corps during World War II, he thought of the crossing re-enactment as an important event. He said: "I thought American youngsters should really know what’s going on in our country, and what’s happened here, and what we’re about. I thought the re-enactment of the crossing was a perfect way to help increase that kind of awareness." So, when the decision was made to stage the crossing, he jumped at the chance to get involved.
But that was only part of what Mr. Abbott did during his lifetime. In 1943, he became a junior volunteer for the Union firefighters and not long after helped form the river rescue and recovery squad a group that has been involved in many lifesaving operations since its inception.
From that time on for the next 60 or so years he was an integral part of fire and rescue operations. In fact, over the years, he held 11 different offices in the Union Fire Company and Rescue Squad, which honored him with the dedication of an ambulance bay in his name.
The river and the nearby D&R Canal also were central to his work. He was owner of Abbott’s Marine Center, a business that began in 1948. For over 32 years, Mr. Abbott sold boats, outboard motors, canoes and marine equipment and supplies. He also operated Abbott’s Canoe Rental, which enabled locals and visitors to spend afternoons exploring the canal. After selling his business, he spent 10 years overseeing the boating and safety operations on Lake Mercer for the Mercer County Park Commission.
Today, many do not enjoy the luxury of living as close to their work as Mr. Abbott did. His volunteer efforts truly were an extension of who he was, where he lived, what he did for a living and what he saw as community needs he could fill. But, he didn’t have to volunteer or devote all those years to service. He obviously loved doing so.
We need more Mr. Abbotts in Hopewell Valley and in this world today. We need more volunteers who are dedicated to doing the tough jobs. We need to get away from our home computers and go out into the community to see what needs we might fill. People like "River Jim" should serve as our inspiration!

