Rockson, Gilbert
Gilbert Rockson, 68, of Miami Beach, Florida, died peacefully on July 2, 2021 while celebrating his birthday with friends and family in New York. Gilbert had a long and successful career in business, but his greatest gift was his love for life, which he shared with his family and friends. He traveled the world with ease and goodwill and made friends wherever he went. He could share a joke and story with anyone from taxis to casinos to cruise lines and boardrooms. He was an outrageously generous man and a hilarious flirt, but he knew how to ask a frank question about someone’s life and then listen sincerely. He would ask someone their name and then always remember it. He touched and enriched the lives of others wherever he worked, lived and traveled. He just loved people!
Gilbert was the first person to seek advice in business and life from others. His generosity was matched by his sharp wit, oversized personality, and deep friendliness. He was the beloved uncle of five nephews and nieces, and any time with Uncle Gilbert was cherished. Destination weddings could mean wherever Gilbert was – New York for a niece, Miami for a nephew. Gilbert’s house was a safe haven after a friend broke up, with apartment keys for a short vacation, Rolls keys for a jaunt, a place to hang out or stay up at night. Gilbert loved boating and spent a lot of time on the water where his nephews learned how to drive his boat. He made sure they could ride an airboat through a swamp and fish from a canoe on his private lake. Gilbert often accompanied his brother Stan and sister-in-law on cruises to different parts of the world. He was great fun traveling and he always opted for the less traveled route when exploring a new place, avoiding the native language, and making friends through laughter and gestures.
Gilbert Leon Rockson was born on July 1, 1953 in New York City to Margot and George Rockson. He attended Stony Brook School, the same boarding school as his older brother Stan. Gilbert was fascinated from an early age and loved cars. He was known for collecting car keys growing up, and he kept car engine parts under his dorm bed while attending High Point University in North Carolina. He kept his focus on cars with a summer job as a park servant in Miami Beach, where his satisfied customers gave him so much tips that he had to empty pockets full of change into his VW Beetle to keep his pants from falling off.
Gilbert began his career in the automotive industry at a local dealership and quickly showed great talent for the business. At the age of 26, Gilbert was the youngest Mercedes / Chrysler dealer in the United States. At the age of 30, he began expanding into real estate investing. Just four years later, he sold his dealership to expand his real estate business and found a new company, the GL Rockson Collection, to sell exotic cars. For the past few years he has been solely focused on real estate and at the time of his death owned nearly two dozen commercial properties in five states. Gilbert introduced his nephew Colin to the world of commercial real estate and worked with him as his mentor over the years.
Gilbert’s family originally came from Germany and remained closely connected in New York and later in Miami. He lovingly looked after his family and it was his common practice to pick up all the ladies – his aunts, grandmother, mother – and take them to dinner. Once he showed his young nieces and nephews around the house where he had grown up in New York. Once on the top floor, a sign on the door to the roof warns: “Emergency exit. DO NOT open the door. Alarm sounds.” Typical of his rebellious spirit, Gil just laughed and pushed the door open. No alarm! Just a spectacular view of the Hudson River and Gil and Stan’s childhood ramp for eggs thrown on cars below. The two brothers shared many adventures, rode alone on the New York subway as children, raised ducklings in their bathtubs in Mexico in the summer, visited the emergency room because of a monkey bite and accompanied aunts across Europe.
That was Gilbert – he always enjoyed the trip without focusing too much on the destination. He cared so much for the people around him and enjoyed themselves. He gave and gave and just asked for good vibes in return. A real person who lives on in our hearts.
Gilbert leaves behind his great-aunt Lucy Lowell, brother Stan Rockson, sister-in-law Shauna Rockson, nieces and nephews Hayden Rockson, Andrea O’Connor, Ned Rockson, Paul Lazazzera and Colin Rockson.
Published by Greensboro News & Record on October 14, 2021.
Comments are closed.