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John grew up in West Hempstead, NY. He did his undergraduate work at Hofstra University and then his Funeral Director schooling at American Academy McAllister Institute in NYC. He was employed for five years as a licensed Funeral Director at the Chester A. Fulton & Son, Inc. Funeral Home in Freeport, which he purchased in 1980. After marrying the love of his life, Valerie, his first two sons were born, Dominick and Anthony. It was at this point in his life in 1990, that he had the opportunity to purchase the Brockett Funeral Home, Inc. in Southampton from Paul Bauer. Paul had successfully run the Funeral Home for over 28 years, having taken over the business from its founder, Everett Brockett. At age 55, with heart problems, Paul saw it was time to pass the baton over to another young family, who would nurture the business and become a part of the Southampton community. Tragically, six months after purchasing the Funeral Home from Paul, Paul died of a heart attack. John and Valerie were quickly welcomed into the community and became the heart and soul of the Brockett Funeral Home. They were blessed with two more children, Vincent and Andrea. All four children attended Southampton public schools and all were Southampton High School
graduates. Dominick graduated from the College of the Holy Cross, Anthony from High Point University, Vincent from College of Charleston, and Andrea will be graduating from Emory University in the spring of 2017.
Many people would be hard pressed to raise a family in a funeral home, but John and Valerie rose to the challenge and their children became more aware of just how fragile our lives can be, and in our darkest hours, it’s the support of family and the community that make a difference. John has been a member of the Southampton Rotary Club since 1991, serving as its President from 1999- 2000.
In 2014, Dominick, not happy in the financial world of business, decided to become a licensed Funeral Director, and in 2016 began working side by side with his father. The next generation will now take Brockett’s into the future and celebrate 100 years of dedication to the Southampton community in 2022.
John D. Abbate
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