Delila Richards Abbott, age 90, died December 1, 1998 at Salt Lake City, Utah after a short illness. She had been a resident at Highland Cove Retirement Center for eight years.

Dee, as she was known, was born November 4, 1908 to John C. and Clara Bacon Richards of West Jordan, Utah. On June 25, 1930 she married Floyd A. Abbott who preceded her in death in 1993.Delila was a graduate of Jordan High School and attended LDS Business College. She pursued a business career before marriage and later in life.

She was active in the LDS Church serving principally in the Mutual Organization and the Relief Society in Salt Lake, Spokane, and Seattle.

She was active for twelve years in Republican politics, six of them as Salt Lake County vice chairman; was Supervisory Clerk of the Utah Senate for two terms; elected Utah State Legislator 1957 session; member of Governor Clydes five member Civil Rights Committee; 1960 co-chairman of Governor Clyde's Campaign Committee.

In 1960 she was a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Chicago, acting on the Foreign Affairs Committee. In 1961 was appointed member of the National Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Service, a three-year term to represent military women of all the branches of the military. Served as chairman of sub-committee on Organizations in final year. Was chairman of the national convention of the Order of Women Legislators which was held in Salt Lake City in 1973.

Interested in history, she organized and edited her mother's book Treasured Memories and West Jordan History; was author and publisher of Women Legislators of Utah - 1896-1976; author and publisher of Days of Our Fathers, a novel based on fact of polygamy and early Utah history; and author of Mystery of the Ancients Ones, a novel of Anasazi Indians of Mesa Verde, Colorado.

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Delila is listed in the 1988 edition of International Who's Who of Professional and Business Women.

She is survived by a son, Richard, daughter-in-law, Anita of Salt Lake City and two grandsons, James and Christopher Abbott; four brothers, John C. Richards, Archibald Richards, Delos Richards, and Warren Richards; and one sister, Ruby McMillian. Preceded in death by a brother, Stuart Richards and a sister, Hazel Hughes.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, 1998 in the Wasatch Lawn Mortuary Chapel, 3401 South Highland Drive, where family and friends may call from 12:45-1:45 p.m. prior to services. Interment Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park.

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