Norman Abell dedicated his life to full-time Christian service at the age of 15. Born in Cincinnati, he grew up in many places. His father DeWitt was a sanitary engineer and was sent overseas in World War II as Norm was heading to Denison University. He graduated with honors in pre-med. He married Jean Brokaw, a minister's daughter from New York, and matriculated at the University of Rochester Medical School.

The Abells and their two children left for Belgium in 1955 and then for the Congo in 1956. In 1961, Norm contracted polio, but after eighteen months recovering in the States, he returned to the mission field.

Polio had made surgery impractical, so he specialized in nursing education. He was instrumental in establishing a pharmaceutical supply service for church hospitals and the first Family Health Program in Kinshasa. This led to postgraduate training at Johns Hopkins in public health, followed by ten years at the interdenominational Evangelical Medical Institute in Kimpese, where he was principally involved in rural health and refugee services.

The Abells returned to the States in 1990 and retired the next year. Norm was active in the Penney Retirement Community pharmacy and the Social Concerns Committee.