On May 4, 2005 a week short of her 88th birthday Beatrice Gibson Kobrin passed away at her home in Penfield, NY, a suburb of Rochester. Bea, as she was known to both friends and family, was born in Manhasset, the daughter of Bernard and Louise Gibson. Bea's father, Bernard Gibson, began a stationery business that remained in the family for generations. As a child Bea worked in her father's stationery store, known as Gibson's, a fixture in the Manhasset community for more than 50 years at the corner of Plandome Road and George Street.

Bea graduated from Manhasset High School (class of '35) and then attended NYU where she received a degree in commerce. She and her husband Barney had three children all graduates of MHS: Larry (class of '65), Carol (class of '68) and Philip (class of '74). All three moved to the Rochester area where they raised their families.

When Bea's father, Bernard Gibson, moved to Manhasset he moved to escape the city environment. When he moved to Manhasset it was truly a move to the country-at the time it was the last stop on the LIRR line. After WWII Bea and Barney lived in the apartment above the store at 138 Plandome Road where their first child, Larry, was born. They later moved to Nassau Avenue in the village which was a short walk to work for Barney and a similar walk for her children to school. The store was later named Gibson and Kobrin when her husband Barney and brother Ruben Gibson ran it. Located across the street from what was then the Plandome Road Elementary School, and is now Mary Jane Davies Green, it was a well-known stop off point for children to buy candy and parents to buy newspapers and gifts. Numerous students from Manhasset had the opportunity to work at the store folding papers (primarily The NY Times!) on Sunday mornings. As an adult Bea was the bookkeeper for the store.

She was a founding member of Temple Judea in Manhasset and was active in its Sisterhood. For many years Bea was a volunteer at North Shore Hospital where she delivered pictures of newborn babies to their families.

Bea had a younger brother, Ruben, who predeceased her. Bea is survived by her husband of 62 years, Barney, children Larry and Marian Kobrin, Philip and Jane Kobrin, Carol and Jeff Spero, four grandchildren Rachel Mara Kobrin (Richard Brody), a Rabbinical student in Los Angeles, Joshua Kobrin, a law student at NYU, Max (eighth grade) and Molly (fourth grade) Spero and one great grandchild Noa Tiferet Kobrin-Brody who celebrated her one year birthday with Bea in April.

A longtime resident of Manhasset she had lived in Rochester, NY summers for the past 10 years and moved there permanently with her husband Barney in 2002 to be near her children.

Services were held at Temple Sinai in Rochester with her son-in-law Rabbi Richard Brody officiating and her grandchildren Rachel Kobrin and Joshua Kobrin delivering eulogies. Interment was at Montifiore Cemetery in Farmingdale.

Friends wishing to may contribute to the National Parkinson Foundation, 1501 NW 9th Ave., Bob Hope Road, Miami, FL 33136.