Abby Mary Orton, 74, of Truro died on Jan. 17, 2021 at Pleasant Bay Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center in Brewster. No cause of death has been reported.
Abby was born on July 27, 1946 and raised in Albany, N.Y., daughter of the late John L. and Helen M. Bennett. She attended Academy of the Holy Names in Albany and earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the College of Saint Rose in 1968. Following graduation, Abby lived in a number of cities, including Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. She was proud to have attended the 1969 music festival in Woodstock, N.Y.
She and her husband, Tony Orton, settled on the Outer Cape in 1974, and this became her home for the rest of her life. Tony and Abby eventually separated but Tony remained dear to Abby’s heart.
Abby was a server at the Lobster Pot Restaurant in Provincetown for 25 years, starting the year she arrived on the Outer Cape. She touched the lives of many people at the Lobster Pot and made lifelong friends there.
A voracious reader, a brilliant writer, and an animal lover, Abby was passionate about politics, movies, music, arts, and culture. She especially loved spending Sundays with friends doing the New York Times crossword puzzle on Provincetown beaches. Those closest to her knew her as vivacious, adventurous, witty, and fun. She lived life to the fullest and on her own terms. She found peace and solitude in the beauty of the Outer Cape.
Abby is survived by her sister-in-law, Therese A. Bennett of North Greenbush, N.Y.; her nieces, Meagan Bennett and husband Jamison Divoll and Catherine Bennett and partner Nicholas Morris of Brooklyn, N.Y.; her nephew, Robert Bennett and partner Brent Krebs of Orlando, Fla; and her grand-nephews, Kyle Morris and Thomas Divoll. Abby also leaves many dear friends.
Abby touched the lives of all she met. She shared a special bond with her late brother, Thomas F. Bennett III.
Due to the pandemic, memorial services will be arranged when it is safe to do so.
The family requests that donations in Abby’s memory be made to the Carrie A. Seaman Animal Shelter, 5 Sandy Hill Lane, Provincetown 02657.
To share a memory or leave an online condolence for the family, visit gatelyfuneralservice.com.
