Obituary of Peter Bush-Brown Gimbel

Peter B. Gimbel, 33, was a social worker who advocated for independent living for people with disabilities. Peter not only advanced this cause through his work at DAWN Center for Independent Living in Denville, New Jersey, but also led by example as a husband and father in Scarsdale, New York, where he was active in the community, despite his severely limited mobility and reliance on a ventilator. Peter, the son of Thomas S.T. Gimbel and Lesley (Bush-Brown) Gimbel of Glen Cove, New York, was a 2005 graduate of Brown University, where he studied Comparative Literature with a focus on Spanish Literature. Undeterred by Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, which required him to use a wheelchair from age 11 onwards, Peter studied abroad during college, spending a semester in Madrid, where he navigated public transportation to attend classes and travel widely across the country. At Brown, he was recognized with honors for his thesis looking at moral codes in Cervantes’s Don Quixote and Huckleberry Finn. After graduating, Peter spent a year working in Houston, Texas, while taking psychology classes and volunteering with organizations including the Ronald McDonald House and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, where he used his language skills to lead a support group in Spanish for people facing the same disease he had. In 2008, Peter went on to complete his Master’s in Social Work at the University of Houston, where he lead the student association of clinical social workers who wanted to pursue careers in counseling and was recognized with the Mary Richmond Award for excellence in social work practice and values. He married Jessica Resnick-Ault, an energy journalist and author, in 2006. Together, Peter and Jessica lived in Houston and Jersey City, as their careers unfolded. Peter worked as a counselor in Bergen County, New Jersey, before finding his calling working at DAWN to help people with disabilities remain integrated in their communities. They settled in Scarsdale, New York, in 2012. As Peter’s disability made it increasingly difficult for him to visit with clients and speak on the telephone, he developed capabilities as a web designer and blogger, taking responsibility for DAWN’s website, and beginning to develop other sites. He launched his own blog at relaxedbrainpower.com, where he quickly developed a following for his writings about strategies for keeping a sharp mind in the face of aging and physical limitations. He typed on the computer using a jouse, a device that allowed him to breathe in Morse-code rhythms and converted the breaths into letters on the monitor screen. Peter and Jessica have one daughter, Helen Gimbel, age 6, who shares many of Peter’s interests including nature, science and music. Peter was one of few men with Duchenne in the U.S. to have a child, and he delighted in spending many afternoons with her, cheering her on at swim practice and playing creative games with her. Pete was well known at Helen’s school and in her classroom, where he explained his disability and the tools he used to live a fulfilling life. In his spare time, Peter enjoyed reading science fiction and watching films, including anime directed by Hayao Miyazaki. He also enjoyed vocal music – he recorded a CD while in high school at The Portledge School, and was a member of singing groups while at Brown and the University of Houston. While he stopped singing formally as his ability to breathe deteriorated, he passed his love of music down to Helen and enjoyed composing songs with her on the computer. Peter died Monday, January 9, at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, after a month-long respiratory illness. Peter is survived by his wife, daughter and parents and by sisters Hope Gimbel of New York, NY and Lesley Gimbel of Florida. His brother, Thomas S.T. Gimbel Jr., who also had muscular dystrophy, died in 2016. Memorial services in Peter’s honor will be held Saturday, January 28, at 2 p.m. at the JCC Mid-Westchester in Scarsdale at 999 Wilmot Rd., and Saturday, February 4, at St. John’s of Lattingtown in Locust Valley, New York at 11 a.m. The interment will be private. Arrangements through Dodge-Thomas Funeral Home of Glen Cove. In lieu of flowers, donations in Peter’s memory may be made to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, an organization devoted to researching cures for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.