OBITUARY Harvey Joseph Abel May 3, 1928 – July 18, 2018 Harvey Joseph Abel, 90, died on July 18, 2018. Harvey is survived by his son, Jonathan Abel and his fiancé, Jessica and her daughter, Elle; his daughter, Beth Del Pizzo and her husband Paul, and their son Michael, his daughter Saralyn and her husband, Alan, and their son, Samuel, along with his step grandchildren Bradley and Nancy Dorrill and Andrew and Bethany Lapp, and their families; along with his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Rabbi Aaron Koplin and Joan Koplin, and their children, Seth Koplin and Sarah Koplin and their families, along with many loving cousins. Harvey was the husband of Marcia for 58 years.
His love and devotion for Marcia was unparalleled, and during her long illness, Harvey remained impossibly courageous and unquestioning. Regardless of the blessings or challenges of the day, Harvey kept his sense of humor, did not dwell on the negative, and was a consummate problem solver. His love for Marcia was beyond measure.
With humor, patience, intelligence, kindness, grace and respect, Harvey was an unconditionally devoted father, family member, and friend. His family and friends counted on him for the fact that he always seemed to have the answers to their questions, which he communicated with tremendous logic and wisdom. Harvey was also extremely generous with his time, advice, and rerdzt/s.
Simply stated, he was beloved by all who knew him. Growing up, Harvey enjoyed fishing, skating, hiking, and boating on Lake Michigan. He overcame polio, won a chemistry scholarship to the University of Michigan, and was a music minor playing the piano, bongos, and ukulele.
Harvey then transferred to the University of Arizona, where his daily transportation was unbelievably a horse, before attending law school at Stetson University. Harvey was an adventurous person who co-owned and flew an airplane, scuba-dived, fly-fished, and played golf and tennis. He adored Sun Valley, Idaho where he and his family spent countless summers and also loved traveling all over the world.
Charity was important to Harvey and later in life he particularly enjoyed the several terms that he served on the Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation Board. Harvey’s opinions, guidance, and suggestions were always taken with the utmost respect by his peers and fellow board members. Harvey’s professional accomplishments were numerous.
He was a founding partner of the law firm Abel Band that was a preeminent law establishment in Sarasota for over 50 years (before Abel Band joined Shumaker, Loop, and Kendrick, LLP). Harvey was admitted to the Florida Bar Association in 1959. He was then sworn into practice before the United States Supreme Court by Archibald Cox in 1965.
He went on to pioneer the first condominium laws with the legislature in Tallahassee, Florida. He also worked with the title insurance companies to establish insurance for newly developed condominium units. Harvey thoroughly enjoyed the professionalism, the creativity, and the intellectual challenge that he used on a daily basis to help serve the many developments and businesses with which he was associated with throughout the years.
Harvey considered practicing the law a true privilege. Many of his closest friendships were with his colleagues and clients. The family would like to thank the many caregivers who were dedicated to the Abel family for over 13 years.
A private family funeral has been planned. There will be a reception to celebrate Harvey’s life at Sarabande, 340 S. Palm Ave. on July 20, 2018 from 4:00-6:00 P.M. Charitable donations in his memory may be given to Sarasota Memorial Healthcare Foundation or the charity of your choice.
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