SOUTH DENNIS: Katherine Nelson Gibbs passed away peacefully at home surrounded by loved ones on September 25th, 2019, following a long illness. She was born in New Bedford, MA on July 2, 1938 to Howard Manning Gibbs and Margaret Ellen (Nelson) Gibbs. Her parents, a painter and a writer, moved with her to Brewster in the early 1940s and purchased the Elijah Cobb house on Lower Road where she grew up. She attended both Nauset Regional High School and the Cambridge School in Weston from which she graduated in 1956. She attended Boston University for two years before marrying in 1958.
She is survived by her former husband, Jefferson L. Tubman. She is also survived by her daughter Abigail W. (Tubman) Dorn and her husband Gregory Dorn of Bourne, as well as her son Dr. Jonathan G. Tubman and his husband Thomas W. Seiler of Rockville, Maryland. She delighted in many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, both biological and by marriage, as well as the children of special friends who she treasured watching grow up including Weston and Heather Dorn, Matthew and Jason LaFleur, and the entire Leandre family, among many, many others.
Katherine had many friendships, both long-term and new, and will be remembered by many as a person always having a pot of coffee and coffee cups at the ready and a willing ear to listen to a person in need or friends who would often drop by unannounced. She was passionate about the history of the Cape Cod Arts community in the mid-20th century, her flower gardens, her backyard bird sanctuary, and in later years, her cat Noah, social media, digital photography, QVC and keeping wild turkeys out of her yard. She will be missed by friends and family alike for her warm smile, sense of compassion and empathy for others.
A private graveside service is planned for family members. A memorial service will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her memory to the Cape Cod Museum of Art (CCMOA) or the Visiting Nurse Association (VNA) of Cape Cod’s hospice program.
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