Elizabeth Gregory Heard Gambee, of Rye, N.Y., died at home on Jan. 9, 2024, after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease. She was 71.
Born and raised in New York City, she attended Chapin School and later graduated summa cum laude from Wellesley College.
Her career took her to Chemical Bank, where she became a vice president in the Correspondent Banking Division. She served on the French Desk, living in Paris for two years.
After leaving the bank in 1991, she began teaching English as a second language. She subsequently applied her expertise in French by translating over 100 books for the publishing houses of Rizzoli, Abbeville, and Flammarion.
For over 20 years, Elizabeth was a trustee of The Webster Apartments, a nonprofit organization benefiting professional women in New York City. She was a member of the Cosmopolitan Club, the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, and the Nantucket Yacht Club.
She volunteered for many years for the local Westchester chapter of Meals on Wheels. A lifelong reader, she was actively engaged in book clubs in both New York City and Rye.
Elizabeth Gambee was devoted to her family and her community. Few people could match her selfless, warm, and caring personality. She inspired those around her with her adventurous spirit, love of travel, and endless curiosity. From the ballet to museums, she was a dedicated patron of the arts and regularly shared her passions with friends and family.
Surviving are her loving husband, Robert Gambee of New York City, Rye, and Nantucket, and their children, Robert and Claire; her mother, Phyllis, past president of the New York Junior League; and her brother, Tony Heard and his wife Margaret of Nashville and their children, Robert, Emily, and Allison. Her father, Anthony Heard, retired Chairman of the U.S. Trust Company, predeceased her.
A memorial gathering will be held this spring.
Donations in Elizabeth Gambee’s memory may be made to Christ’s Church, 2 Rectory St., Rye, NY 10580.
– Photo by George Zabriskie