David William Abbott arrived in New Zealand after being born in Longbenton, Northumberland, in 1934. He made his home in Wellington and dedicated more than half a century to the role of a cricket umpire.
His career behind the stumps included a solitary first-class appearance during the 1977-78 season, where he officiated a match between Wellington and Canterbury. On the international stage, he stood for a single match during the 1982 Women's Cricket World Cup, overseeing the contest between India and the International XI.
Abbott passed away on 5 March 2016 in Lower Hutt after a battle with cancer at the age of 81.