Fostering growth has been a lifelong project for Wheeler Abbett.
Whether it's the cactus he planted when he and his wife, Charlyne, moved to Marana in 1989 or the town itself, Abbett, 83, enjoys positive change.
"I like to see progress," he said. "I like to see things grow."
Abbett will watch more change today when Marana and Pima County officials break ground for a library near Continental Ranch that will be named for him.
Abbett donated $1 million to the library's book fund. The town still needs $500,000 more for books and has launched a campaign to raise the money.
The 15,000-square-foot library will eventually hold 100,000 books and feature community meeting rooms, a computer lab and an outdoor amphitheater. It should open in the summer of 2008.
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The library is a fitting tribute to Abbett, who spent more than nine years on the Marana Planning Commission, during five of which he served as chairman, said Councilman Tim Escobedo.
Abbett also was honored in 2003 when a Continental Ranch park was named for him.
"Wheeler's done a lot for the community over time," said Escobedo, who was on the commission with Abbett. "He means a lot to us."
Abbett, who graduated from high school at 16, worked as an electrical engineer in California before retiring. In retirement, he ran several companies, including Trinity Mortgage. He's also had a career in radio and worked as an avocado farmer.
Abbett, who shies from the spotlight, said he's hoping the library can inspire more progress.
"Say that some guy or girl who had used the library makes somebody of themselves," he said. "Hopefully that will happen."
In the 17 years he's lived in Marana, Abbett has seen plenty of growth.
When he first worked on the Planning Commission, Abbett and his colleagues met in an adobe house. They later met in a mobile home. The old meeting rooms pale in comparison to where the commission now meets — the multistory, state-of-the-art town hall, Abbett said.
"When I first got here, the town had no money," said Abbett, recalling that there were only 11 police officers, including the chief. The town now has 75 officers.
Continental Ranch was only an outline of planned roads and had a little more than a dozen homes. The Abbetts built the 15th home in the area, where there are now more than 4,000 houses.
When driving home, the Abbetts could see their back-porch light from Interstate 10.
"There wasn't a light in the town," said Charlyne.
The growth and direction of the town has been positive, Abbett said. "We're moving forward really well," he said.
As part of the growth, the town needs a library near Continental Ranch, as the closest two branches — the Nanini branch and the Geasa-Marana branch — are miles away, Abbett said.
Abbett hopes the new library will give children the opportunity to work with computers and learn. But the library shouldn't just be a place for academic pursuits, he said.
"When I was a kid I used to meet some lovely girls down there," he said. "It sure beats the 7-Eleven."
And for Abbett, helping people and watching them grow has kept him going. "Just that little bit of extra help — that's all a lot of people ever need," he said.
If you go
What: Wheeler T. Abbett Sr. Library groundbreaking.
When: 10:30 a.m. to noon today.
Where: Southeast corner of North Silverbell and West Cortaro roads, behind the Walgreens drugstore.
To donate to the library's book fund call 382-1999.
