Henrietta Dobin, woman thought to be the oldest Long Islander, dies at 111
North Woodmere resident Henrietta Dobin celebrates her 110th birthday at the Bristal Assisted Living in Valley Stream on Aug. 19, 2021. Credit: Newsday / J. Conrad Williams Jr.
She was lucky — That's how Steve Dobin explained the incredibly long life of 111 years of his mother, Atlantic Beach resident Henrietta Dobin, who died Thursday.
Born before the Titanic sank or World War I began, Henrietta Dobin didn't offer any pat explanations for her longevity, said her son Steve Dobin, of Long Beach.
"She was lucky. She won a car in a raffle. She found a Piaget watch on the street," he said. "She led a very wonderful life. She traveled all over the world."
Henrietta Dobin was believed to be the Island's oldest resident, or at least one of them. She most recently lived in the Nautilus Hotel in Atlantic Beach, where she died of natural causes, her son said. There, the residents called her "Queenie" or "The Queen" because she was the oldest person there and dressed so well, family members said.
She didn't have extraordinary genes, they added, as her father had died in his mid-80s and her brother died in his 70s.
"She said that if she knew why she lived so long, she would sell it and be a multimillionaire," said her daughter, Myra Markowitz, of Hewlett Harbor.
She married a man who became successful, Steve Dobin said. Solomon Dobin founded Bargain Town USA, an early chain of discount department stores. He died in 1990 at the age of 79, he said.
Before that, when they were a young married couple, she hitchhiked from New York to Texas to be with him as he attended the University of Texas, he said.
"She had 10 cents," said Steve Dobin of that journey, which became a favorite family story. "She was 17. When she got there, they visited a local rabbi who gave them some money."
Over the years, the couple traveled the world, visiting China, Russia, Japan and Africa. She was an avid painter and golfer, and volunteered for years at the Nassau County Museum of Art. She stopped working there because of COVID-19 concerns.
Last year, Henrietta Dobin was featured in Newsday when she celebrated her 110th birthday surrounded by her family. She was still playing bridge and bingo and putting together her own outfits.
She did offer a bit of advice at the time.
"Live your life the way you want to live it," she said, according to the article. "Be good to yourself. Be good to others."
But Steve Dobin suggested there were other reasons for his mother's longevity.
"Basically, she led a not-stressful life," he said. "She would always say, 'This too shall pass.' "
Aside from her two children, she is survived by four grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. A graveside service will occur at 12:30 p.m. Sunday in Mount Ararat Cemetery, Lindenhurst.
Craig Schneider is a Long Island native and Stony Brook University alumnus. He joined Newsday as a general assignment reporter in January 2018 after 20 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
