Obituary of Lesley B. Gimbel

Lesley (“Lel”) Bush-Brown Gimbel, 66, died peacefully on October 20, 2020 at NSUH Manhasset, NY, surrounded by family. She is survived by her husband of 41 years Thomas S. T. Gimbel, her daughters Lesley B. Gimbel and Hope K. Gimbel, her brother David Bush-Brown, her sisters Frances B. Thompson, and Martha B. Risom, her daughter-in-law Jessica Resnick-Ault and granddaughter, Helen R. Gimbel. She was the caring and loving mother of four, including two sons Peter and Tommy, both of whom had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and predeceased her in 2016 and 2017.  
 
Family and friends were her life’s priorities.  She was a loyal and selfless friend, devoted wife and mother.  She was active in her community; a Board Member of her Property Association, Co-Head of the Altar Guild at St. John’s of Lattingtown, former trustee of the Portledge School, and member of the North Country Garden Club.  She graduated from Bowdoin College with a BA in Art History, followed by banking courses.  She began her career as a Trust Officer at Chemical Bank and served as a Manager at Loeb Rhoades, Hornblower & Company, but left to raise her growing family.
 
She treated her children equally; yet, having two sons with Muscular Dystrophy demanded extra time and effort.  She started lifting weights specifically to be better able to physically assist her sons. She organized successful fund-raising events for both the Muscular Dystrophy Association and the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.
 
Information about a forthcoming Memorial Service will be available on the church’s website stjlat.org. Contributions in Lel’s memory may be made to St. John’s of Lattingtown/Memory of Lel, 325 Lattingtown Rd., Locust Valley, NY 11560.  Lel will be immensely missed by her many friends and family.