Obituary for Bobbie Knable (Brown)
Bobbie Brown Knable died peacefully, in her sleep, on Tuesday, November 15th. She was 86 years old. She is survived by her son, Jacob. Her late husband, Norman, died in 2007.
Bobbie was born in 1936, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her mother died in childbirth, and Bobbie was reared by her great-grandmother, who died when Bobbie was five. Her great-aunt, Glenda Williams, brought her to live with her in Cleveland, where she resided until she went off to college at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Bobbie graduated from Oberlin in 1958 and then moved to New York City in 1960, where she met Norman Knable. They attended the Washington Civil Rights March in 1963 together, and married later that year. Bobbie worked in the national office of the Congress for Racial Equality during the year preceding their move to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1965.
When Jacob was two-and-a-half years old, Bobbie went to work at Tufts University, where she remained for 30 years, beginning as a teacher in the English department, and then, in succession, becoming Director of the Real Program for Women, Dean for First Year Students, and, finally, serving as Dean of Students for 20 years. Bobbie was named Dean Emerita upon her retirement in 2000.
During her career, Bobbie was awarded an honorary degree by Oberlin College, served on the Accreditation Board of the New England Association for Schools and Colleges and was a trustee at Bennington College from 1996-2017. She also served at different times on the following boards of directors: Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis (MIP), City on a Hill Charter School, Pine Manor College, Vermont Academy, Tufts Daycare Center, the Driscoll Extended-Day Program, and The Women’s Inner-City Educational Resource Board.
She received awards from the Tufts Alumni Council, Governor Cellucci’s Proclamation for Efforts to Improve Healthcare for the Elderly, and the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis. Her article, “Sticks and Stones: Some Thoughts on Verbal Harassment”, appeared in “Transaction inMetropolitan Universities, Volume 1, #2”, published by Transaction Periodicals Consortium.
After retirement from Tufts in 2000, Bobbie became involved in Brookline’s town government as a Town Meeting member, was appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee, and joined the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, and Brookline Pax.
Early in her time at Tufts, she was a member of the “Variae” instrumental quartet that performed at Boston University’s first Women and Music Festival.
A memorial service for Bobbie will be held on December 3rd, at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Bigelow Chapel, located at 580 Mt Auburn St, in Cambridge at 1:00 pm. Those unable to attend may watch the service on Zoom.
For those who would like to attend, please rsvp with your name and email, please specify if you would like to attend in person, or virtually on Zoom, and whether you would like a few minutes to speak about Bobbie at the service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to either Fair Fight or Planned Parenthood.
Bobbie was born in 1936, in Knoxville, Tennessee. Her mother died in childbirth, and Bobbie was reared by her great-grandmother, who died when Bobbie was five. Her great-aunt, Glenda Williams, brought her to live with her in Cleveland, where she resided until she went off to college at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Bobbie graduated from Oberlin in 1958 and then moved to New York City in 1960, where she met Norman Knable. They attended the Washington Civil Rights March in 1963 together, and married later that year. Bobbie worked in the national office of the Congress for Racial Equality during the year preceding their move to Boston, Massachusetts, in 1965.
When Jacob was two-and-a-half years old, Bobbie went to work at Tufts University, where she remained for 30 years, beginning as a teacher in the English department, and then, in succession, becoming Director of the Real Program for Women, Dean for First Year Students, and, finally, serving as Dean of Students for 20 years. Bobbie was named Dean Emerita upon her retirement in 2000.
During her career, Bobbie was awarded an honorary degree by Oberlin College, served on the Accreditation Board of the New England Association for Schools and Colleges and was a trustee at Bennington College from 1996-2017. She also served at different times on the following boards of directors: Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis (MIP), City on a Hill Charter School, Pine Manor College, Vermont Academy, Tufts Daycare Center, the Driscoll Extended-Day Program, and The Women’s Inner-City Educational Resource Board.
She received awards from the Tufts Alumni Council, Governor Cellucci’s Proclamation for Efforts to Improve Healthcare for the Elderly, and the Massachusetts Institute for Psychoanalysis. Her article, “Sticks and Stones: Some Thoughts on Verbal Harassment”, appeared in “Transaction inMetropolitan Universities, Volume 1, #2”, published by Transaction Periodicals Consortium.
After retirement from Tufts in 2000, Bobbie became involved in Brookline’s town government as a Town Meeting member, was appointed as a member of the Advisory Committee, and joined the Martin Luther King Celebration Committee, and Brookline Pax.
Early in her time at Tufts, she was a member of the “Variae” instrumental quartet that performed at Boston University’s first Women and Music Festival.
A memorial service for Bobbie will be held on December 3rd, at the Mt. Auburn Cemetery, Bigelow Chapel, located at 580 Mt Auburn St, in Cambridge at 1:00 pm. Those unable to attend may watch the service on Zoom.
For those who would like to attend, please rsvp with your name and email, please specify if you would like to attend in person, or virtually on Zoom, and whether you would like a few minutes to speak about Bobbie at the service.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to either Fair Fight or Planned Parenthood.