December 11, 2023
Abigail Randall Childs of Norwell passed away December 9th from Alzheimer’s Disease. She was 63. Abigail is the daughter of Bruce and Cynthia (Fraser) Randall and was born and raised in the Wollaston Hill section of Quincy, MA. She is a graduate of North Quincy High School. Abigail attended the University of Massachusetts in Amherst and earned degrees in Animal Science and Wildlife Management. She later earned a Masters Degree in Soil Scientist and was a certified Professional Soil Scientist.
Abigail worked for the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries as a marine biologist. She was later employed by the Town of Hingham as a Conservation Agent. Abigail was an active volunteer in the community and served on the Hingham Conservation Commission and the Norwell Zoning Board of Appeals. She was a member and President of the Friends of the Back River and was instrumental in the opening of Webb Memorial State Park. Abigail knew the names of every plant, tree and creature in the wild and led many enthusiastic guided nature walks with local school children and through the Audubon Society.
Abigail was a tremendous baker and was well known for her jams and jellies. She was a passionate and gifted gardener. At the onset of her disease she joined the Colonial Road Runners and ran many races including two half marathons. She was a member of the WSU Bluegrass group and enjoyed singing and dancing at their Tuesday night jams. Abigail was raised in the First Baptist Church of Wollaston and is a current member of the First Baptist Church of Hingham.
Abigail leaves her devoted husband of 37 years, Warren Childs of Norwell. She is survived by her daughter, Amelia Childs Schwartzman of Norwell and her son Wilton Childs of Taunton. She is the grandmother of Michael Schwartzman of Norwell. Abigail was one of seven children leaving behind her siblings Ruth Dempsey of Virginia, Rhonda Dowling of PEI Canada, Allison Rescigno of Lakeville, and Jeffrey Randall of Hanover. She was predeceased by her brothers Adam Randall and Timothy Randall.
Visiting hours will be this Thursday 4pm-8pm at Downing Funeral Home in Hingham and a Celebration of Life will be held at 11am on Saturday, December 16th at The First Baptist Church of Hingham. For more information and online guestbook go to www.downingchapel.com