A Good Age: At 71, Stevie Abbot has an upbeat story of life with Down syndrome
QUINCY – "I thought you might be interested in the story of my buddy Stevie Abbot from Quincy," the email began. "He has lived in a group home in Quincy for 40 years.
"He’s 71 years old – quite a feat for someone with DS (Down syndrome)! – and is completely healthy. He lives an active and fun life, having all kinds of adventures. We’ve traveled to Las Vegas over 20 times (he loves Big Elvis and the show girls), Montreal, NYC, Nashville and other places.
"He loves Provincetown and he loves to perform karaoke with the drag queens at The Governor Bradford. He’s quite a character, loves everyone and never leaves a chance to be the center of attention unmet! He loves to perform and never has to be asked twice.
"We attend United First Parish Church in Quincy (the Church of the Presidents) where he has become a central figure in the congregation."
And beyond. On Sept. 17, Stevie Abbot's photograph was included in "the bright lights of Broadway" in the annual National Down Syndrome Society Times Square video presentation. Some 500 images of people of all ages with the genetic disorder were shown on two huge screens, promoting the inclusion of people with Down syndrome in a very visible way.
The email came from Lynne Rose, 62, of Quincy, who retired in 2020 from the Massachusetts Commission for the Deaf, where she had worked for 23 years. She is Stevie's legal guardian. He is, she said, "a huge part of my life."
On Facebook and Instagram pages called "Hugs from Stevie," she posts his exploits.
"I started this because all of the social media I could find about people with DS focused on children," Lynne said. "Or, if it was about older people, it was all doom and gloom.
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"I want people to see that kids with DS can grow up to be healthy, active adults."
She noted the life expectancy for someone with Down syndrome is 60; Steve is a decade beyond that.
Stevie Abbot was born on Feb. 18, 1951, in Billerica. His parents were musicians and when he was 4, he was placed in the former Paul A. Dever State School in Taunton, known then as the Myles Standish School for the Mentally Retarded. It was one of several state institutions for children with intellectual disabilities; at the time, such placements were common.
Stevie is nonverbal but did learn some sign language and uses it along with gestures and smiles to communicate. In 1982, he was one of the first residents to be released, under court order, as the state schools were closed.
At age 31, he went to live in a group home in Wollaston, where he still has the same room.
That was how Lynne later met him. In 1995, she was employed by WORK Inc., then in North Quincy.
"Steve was in a sign language and socialization group I had there and he got into my heart immediately," she said.
"I fell in love with him. He is so friendly, so adorable. WORK Inc. said he had dementia and would need a legal guardian."
She agreed. After a couple of years, she said, "They tested him again and he does not test for dementia. He is stubborn and doesn't always pay attention to tests."
Growing up in Weymouth, Lynne graduated in 1978 from Weymouth South High School and from UMass-Boston in 1982. She worked at State Street Bank in Boston for 16 years and then changed her career to helping people with special needs and hearing loss.
Lynne introduced Stevie to another major source of support in his life: the First Parish United Church in Quincy. He attends every Sunday, he has appeared in the Nativity scene as a shepherd and last year as a king, and he "performs" as Elvis with the church band.
"He has a way of making people feel loved and really appreciated," church member Sharon Gamache said. "Stevie has a great sense of humor and an emotional intelligence that other people don't have. Lynne has exposed him to so many experiences beyond the music."
Watching him take risks and seeing the joy in his face when he makes new connections inspires others.
He also likes to go to special events, such as lunches, animal visits and and rock painting, with Quincy Elder Services at the Kennedy Cen.
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In January 2021, Stevie survived a long bout with COVID-19. He was in Carney Hospital in Dorchester for five weeks, and while he struggled to breathe on high-flow oxygen, he did not need a ventilator and recovered.
He continues to attend the WORK Inc. day program in Dorchester five days a week. In August, they had a cake honoring his 40 years there, likely the longest participant.
Before the pandemic, Stevie loved to travel with Lynne, and Las Vegas was a big part of his life. He had a large group of friends there, including Siegfried and Roy, and shows and restaurants where they knew him.
Stevie seems to lift the spirits of people he encounters.
"He has opened up my world," Lynne said. "There are a lot of people I wouldn't know except for Stevie, people I met through him.
"It does my heart good to see how many people go out of their way for him. There are so many nice people in the world. I think he has a bright future."
Reach Sue Scheible at sscheible@patriotledger.com.
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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy man, 71, has an upbeat story of life with Down syndrome
