Harvey Martin Joseph Abbott was born in Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colorado on 9 July 1942, the only child to parents Otto Bruce Abbott and Bertha Mary (Novak) Abbott. Otto died on 30 April 1944 a few months before Harvey had reached his second birthday. Harvey was raised in Grainfield, Kansas and was a graduate of Grainfield Rural High School.

Harvey was a veteran of the United States Army and served in the XVIII Airborne Corps for 2 years and 9 months. After his service in the Army, he was appointed as an Arkansas State Trooper on 25 July 1966 and later graduated from the academy on 12 October 1966. After having served for 3 ½ years as a Highway Patrolman, he moved in the early 1970's to New York where he worked at Verizon for over 20 years until his retirement.

Harvey was an avid genealogist and enjoyed researching his ancestors and collaborating with other cousins and genealogists. After he retired from Verizon he spent time criss-crossing the country researching his ancestors and relatives and photographing their grave sites. He was an active Find a Grave contributor; his member profile page can be found here: https://www.findagrave.com/user/profile/49527572 He was also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution (NSSAR) and the Sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW). For a short time in 2008 he moved to El Paso, Texas and continued his genealogy work there before ultimately returning to New York where he continued his research until his death.

Harvey died in Catskill, New York on 24 January 2020, aged 77 years. A private family memorial service was held and Harvey was buried on the 30th of January in the family plot in Mount Pleasant Cemetery in Westchester County, New York. He was preceded in death by his parents and survived by his son and three grandchildren.

Perhaps the original intent was for Harvey Martin Joseph Abbott to be interred in Fairport Cemetery in Russell County, Kansas, next to his father, who died when he was 2 years old. There is a cenotaph for him there.