Apr 20, 2019

Attilio Amadeo Abate, 79, of Silver Spring, Md., passed away and went to heaven Tuesday, April 9, 2019. He was born in Calabria, Italy, September 1, 1939. He succumbed to Cruetzfeld-Jakob disease, a rare illness of the brain.

Attilio was a son of Salvatore Abate and Grazia Abate. He immigrated with his mother and three siblings to Muse in 1947. His father worked in the Muse Coal Mine.

He leaves behind his wife of 17 years, Patti, and a loving family, including sister Frances Vittoria and brothers Alfred and Emilio. Also surviving are sisters-in-law Thelma, Marge and Carmen; brother-in-law Lawrence Vittoria; and many nieces, nephews and his stepfamily. Also surviving is his wonderful cousin in Meadow Lands, Edy Bazzoli.

His brother, Albino, passed away in 2018.

Attilio came to America at the age of eight. He attended schools in and near Muse and graduated from Cecil High School in 1958. At age 19, he joined the U.S. Army and served for three and a half years. As a young adult, he moved to San Leandro, Calif., in the San Francisco Bay area, where he joined his parents and three siblings. He helped take care of his aging parents. After they passed, he moved back to the Washington, D.C., area to be near his brothers.

Attilio finished his career with Verizon doing engineering support and graphic designing. He enjoyed music, traveling, hiking, dining out and fixing things in his workshop. He especially enjoyed the company of his family.

A memorial service will be held Saturday, June 1, in Oakdale Church, 3425 Emory Church Road, Olney, MD 20832.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Cruetzfield-Jacob Disease Foundation at https://cjdfoundation.org/donate.