Melissa Gibbons of East Hampton Was a Beacon of Light

Melissa Gibbons, a 1997 graduate of East Hampton High School who grew up on Oakview Highway, died suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday September 4, the result of several complicated emergency heart surgeries. She was 44.

Laughing and taking adventures were Gibbons’s favorite pastimes, and she lived life to the fullest every single day. A simple scroll through her social media feeds reveals the images of a strong, gregarious woman who absolutely loved her life, her family and her friends — she had an innate ability to bring people together and have fun. She could go to the store for milk and come back with three new friends.

A proud Bonacker, Gibbons was “fierce, funny and feisty” as one of her friends described her, and she always made a positive impression on the people around her.

From her days of riding horses in Amagansett (Scarlett was her favorite) and working at O’Mally’s restaurant, to showing off the catering and hospitality expertise she gained at Mount Ida College at private events all across the East End, Gibbons’s boundless energy was a beacon of light to everyone she met; her warm, mischievous smile and wicked laugh will forever be remembered by those lucky enough to witness it in person, on the phone, or even during a simple Zoom meeting for work or the holidays.

In recent years, she built a strong community of friends in and around Seattle, jumping head-first into her new surroundings by creating her own book club and brunch bunch, as well as joining hiking groups and attending more of the live concerts that she so loved. (Among her many proud bragging rights was attending Woodstock ’99.)

She also continued her lifelong passion for animals, adopting two cats.

After taking her fondness of baseball to the West Coast, she was particularly looking forward to the Mariners making the post-season this year and was hoping to catch another game or two in her favorite perch behind the visitors bullpen, once she got out of the hospital.

She did all this while maintaining her strong Bonac connections by continuing to work remotely for East Hampton Family Medicine, a job she loved and held for nearly 20 years. Gibbons was also a longtime member of the First Presbyterian Church on Main Street.

Gibbons was a dynamo in every sense of the word and a big part of so many lives. Those who knew her were lucky and grateful to be in her orbit, and as they slowly find ways to push through their grief and move forward. They know she would be urging them to laugh, celebrate life and have some fun rather than mourn her loss. That’s the mission: Remember her with a smile.

Godspeed, Melissa Gibbons.

Those wishing to send condolences can do so by mail to Robert and Gail Gibbons, 2475 Popple Dungeon Road, Chester, VT 05143.