John Abele

Abele was raised in a "Classic Yankee family," the youngest of three sons of Catherine (née Eaton) and Lieutenant Commander Mannert L. Abele, USN. His father was the commanding officer of the submarine USS Grunion when the vessel was lost in the Aleutians on July 31, 1942, presumably to enemy action.

John and his brothers later organized, managed, and funded research to locate and photograph the Grunion – which was found in the Bering Sea – document the cause, and locate relatives of all the crew. At the age of seven, Abele was stricken with osteomyelitis, a bacterial infection of the bone, requiring multiple surgeries and years of using crutches. He is a graduate of Amherst College with a double major in physics and philosophy (he later was a trustee).

Abele started his career at a light-fixture company in the Midwest before moving to New England to work for a small medical firm near Boston. He later co-founded Boston Scientific with Peter Nicholas.

He was the chairman of FIRST robotics from 2002 to 2010.

Abele is a member of the USA Science and Engineering Festival's advisory board.

Abele is married to Mary Abele. They live in Shelburne, Vermont, and have three children, including Chris Abele. Chris Abele successfully ran for Milwaukee County executive in 2010.