Gabrielle Reece
Reece in 2011, image via kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Gabrielle Allyse Reece
Place of Birth: La Jolla, San Diego, California, United States
Date of Birth: January 6, 1970
Ethnicity: African-Trinidadian (paternal grandfather), English, Irish, Scottish, Northern Irish
Gabrielle Reece is an American professional volleyball player, sports announcer, fashion model, and actress. She is nicknamed “Gabby.” She is 6′3″.
She is the daughter of Terry and Robert Eduardo/Edward Reece. Her father was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and worked as a psychologist. Her mother is a white American. She was raised in Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Gabrielle is married to big-wave surfer Laird Hamilton, with whom she has two children.
A picture of Gabrielle’s father can be seen here.
Gabrielle has said:
…My grandfather was Black, and my grandmother was White. A lot of my family are still in Trinidad… Women of color can always tell [that Gabrielle has African ancestry]. They’re the ones who ask me.
Gabrielle’s paternal grandfather was Edward Albert Reece (the son of William Reece and Alice Huggins). Edward was born in Trinidad, and was black. He is listed as black on the census, and as “white” on his marriage record, when marrying Gabrielle’s white grandmother.
Gabrielle’s paternal grandmother was Winifred/Winnifrid/Winnifred Melissa Beal (the daughter of Arthur G. Beal and Lida/Lyda Maud Mitchell). Winifred was born in Worcester, Worcester, Massachusetts. She was white. Arthur was the son of John Beal, who was Northern Irish, and of Melissa Grant, who was Canadian. Lida was the daughter of Charles Mitchell and Nellie Moore, who was also born in Canada.
Gabrielle’s maternal grandfather’s surname was Glynn.
Sources: Social security file record of Gabrielle’s father – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Gabrielle’s paternal grandparents, Edward Albert Reece and Winifred/Winnifrid/Winnifred Melissa Beal – https://www.familysearch.org
Naturalization record of Gabrielle’s paternal grandfather, Edward Albert Reece – https://www.familysearch.org
Birth record of Gabrielle’s paternal grandmother, Winifred/Winnifrid/Winnifred Melissa Beal – https://www.familysearch.org
Marriage record of Gabrielle’s paternal great-grandparents, Arthur G. Beal and Lida Maud Mitchell – https://www.familysearch.org
My name is Mark Reece Healey, the son of Sandra Reece ( now Healey ) who is the daughter of the late Dr. Alex Reece ( Brother to Edward Reece, Gabby’s Paternal Grandfather ). I am only now learning of my Mother’s side of the family’s true ancestry, believing for the longest time that there was mix of both Black and White . My mother, having grown up in Trinidad with her two sisters, Barbara and Eleanore, and cousins ( including Bobby Reece, Gabby’s late father ), many of my relatives were mixed – some looked darker than others while others were quite fair. Genes are funny things sometimes.. My Grandpa Alex ( Alick ) Reece had many siblings: Edward, Elaine, Ethel and louise ( affectionately Lou ). I only had the pleasure of getting to know Elaine, Ethel and Lou during my childhood years. Gabby’s Father, Robert had three other siblings: Patsy ( Patricia), Joanne, and Teddy. At present, I am in touch with Joanne and Teddy’s daughter, Heidi Reece Miller. Oddly enough, I have never met Gabby, but perhaps one day…..
My sister is working on a Reece/Healey family tree which should prove quite interesting!!!
It would be interesting if there’s other ancestry (like Spanish, Jewish or Amerindian) in your family besides British and West African.
Picture of Gabrielle Reece’s father https://www.instagram.com/p/CATtyftgQja/
Even though the text says he was “black”, he looked like a mix between an European having a Nordic phenotype (like Swedish, but probably English), and a person of color of pred. SSA ancestry.
@Andrew You can look mullato and still be predominantly African. In the West term “Black” does not mean 100 percent African but still there are 100 percent subsaharan African people with a stereotypical look. Black isn’t just West African, it includes all of subsaharan Africa including East and South African. Blacks in the West have a variety of looks.
You are ridiculous. You already admitted in the past to be of mixed ethnicity, so you should embrace your diverse background.
Her father looks very mullato.
@Bratrizx there really isn’t a “mullato ” look
https://aad.archives.gov/aad/record-detail.jsp?dt=3064&mtch=16&cat=all&tf=F&q=Robert+edward+reece&bc=sd&rpp=10&pg=1&rid=1155216&rlst=6303721,2607493,1155216,2607490,6303720,2607491,2607492,3670511,6781737,6974243
Yep, I think that’s them. Edward Albert Reece (born 1902 Port-of-Spain also a doctor) and Winifred Melissa Beal also appear in the same Reece Family Tree. Winifred Beal was born in 1912 in Worcester, Massachusetts, USA daughter of Arthur G. Beal and Lida M. Mitchell but that doesn’t sound hispanic at all.
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FXV6-QHM)
Arthur G. Beal was the son of John Beal and Melissa Grant. Lida M. Mitchell was the daughter of Charles Mitchell and Nellie Moore. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3Q9M-C955-TWV7-3)
Edward Albert Reece is described as black: (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:3QSQ-G9HF-H9C4-5?i=911&cc=2060123&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AQP3T-R21D)
Edward Albert Reece is the son of William Reece and Alice Higgins both from Trinidad, West Indies. Odd thing is they are listed as white (both Edward and his parents) on the marriage record. (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HY-DTD3-KC6?cc=1520640&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3AFLXR-RVZ)
*Alice Huggins (not Alice Higgins).
Alice Huggins appears in the Reece Family Tree. But the only William Reece from the Reece Family Tree was born in 1910 in Trinidad. There’s another William in the family tree named William Ethelstone/Elphinston Reece born in 1870 in Christ Church Barbados.
@madman
“Seems probable that these are the right people.” That’s what I thought too.
In the same Reece Family Tree there’s a Claude Albert Reece (born 1894 in Port of Spain, Trinidad) I think this is Alick Reece’s cousin (or maybe half-brother?) Because Claude was listed as White when he emigrated and Alick Reece was listed as Black.
(https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:24ZS-PWT)
Claude Reece’s parents were Claude Austin Louis Reece (born 1866 in Christ Church, Barbados) and Veronica I. Carter (1869). Claude Austin Louis Reece was the son of William Henry Reece and Mary Ann Jeffers/Jeffres Gittens/Gifford. William and Mary Ann’s other children were:
William Ethelstone Reece (born 1870 in Barbados)
Oscar Elliott Reece (1873 in Barbados)
Maurice Duncan Reece (1868 in Barbados)
Alfred Norman Reece (1862 in Barbados)
Rupert Frances Emanuel Reece (1864 in Barbados)
I think one of these sons could be Alick Reece’s father.
(https://www.gittens.info/genealogy/getperson.php?personID=I9526&tree=2) They all seemed to have moved to Trinidad or somewhere else. No death records in Barbados for any of them.
There are no Trinidadian records on familysearch.org so all tracks stop there.
There are far more Reece’s in Barbados than in Trinidad (according to ancestry) so I think that’s where they originate.
Another theory is that Abraham Llewelyn Reece (born in c. 1845 in Barbados cousin of the other Reece’s) is Alick’s grandfather/father. Abraham married a french woman named Celestrel (according to this: https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000025998126341& and this: https://www.geni.com/people/Abraham-Reece/6000000057029493009?through=6000000057029572948) and had one son (could this be Alick’s dad?).
(Alick and Abraham might be related because Abraham was a Dr. of Medicine and Alick Reece was a doctor too so it seems to be a family profession. Robert Reese was a psychologist/doctor as well. (I also can’t find a death record for Abraham Llewelyn Reece in Barbados so he may have moved to Trinidad.)
Arnold Reece (born 1878 in Barbados) who married his cousin Mary Louise Reece (daughter of Robert Reece and Josephine Evelyn) could also be Alick Reece (born 1908)’s father. Arnold Reece was the son of Abraham Arnold Reese (1848) and Mary Catherine “Kate” Mapp. Abraham A. Reese and Robert Reece were brothers (sons of William James Reece (1807) and Elizabeth Tinling (1815))
Good reaearch. We will find the correct grandparents soon. Certainly she is not only “Afro-Trinidadian” lol.
Yeah, I’m not sure her grandfather is 100% black either. He’s probably, very likely mixed race too. If Alick Reese is her grandfather that means that Gabrielle is probably only 1/8th black because the Reece’s are mainly white (former plantation owners). I think the black part probably comes from Alick’s mother’s side.
As for her paternal grandmother Theresa Ollivierra if she is her grandmother that means that Gabrielle is 1/4th Portuguese/Hispanic. I think it shows in her face, she has a portuguese features imo.
I believe it’s “Oliveira”
There was a Portuguese wave of immigrants from Azores/Madeira to Trinidad and other West Indies, it makes sense.
If Theresa is her grandmother, Gabrielle is 1/8th Portuguese. I guess Theresa’s own mother was of English descent judging by the surnames.
@andrew According to this: https://sites.rootsweb.com/~madeira/sur-mart.htm they wrote it as Ollivierra but you’re right it probably comes from Oliviera.
@madman Yep, you’re right. She’s 1/8th Portuguese (if that is her grandmother). I know Portuguese people have their own kind of paella but do they also call their grandmothers ‘abuelita’?
“abuelita” maybe a loanword from neighbouring Spanish-speaking West Indies.
@comrade
Portuguese people call their grandmothers avo, not abuela/ita.
@Andrew Afro Trinidadian is the same as African American. Its still black. When are people going to realize that the African slaves taken to America and the Carribean had the same history of force mixing and rape. They are still black people but slightly admixed from 100 to 200 years ago. So the offspring can look a variety of ways. You keep thinking African. Just because a Black person is 80 percent African and 20 percent white does not qualify them the be “mixed” for the census.
Is there actually someone who believes that her father is really Afro-Trinidadian?? Why no pics of him? How so?
Because he died in 1975? From what I gather, he was born in Port of Spain in 1941, and worked in Tulare county as a psychologist. He died after visiting a brother who lived in Los Angeles.
do you have his birth record?
No.
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VGTG-G2H
On ancestry.com it says Trinidad and Tobago instead of ”Other country”. There’s a tree on ancestry that has his birth place as Port of Spain, but it’s set to private.
She has stated “my biological father is from Trinidad”. But also calls her grandma “abuelita” (Spanish word) and told how she cooked her the seafood paella (a typical Spanish food). So could she have Spanish roots? English is the language spoken in Trinidad and St Thomas, not Spanish.
https://www.gabriellereece.com/gabrielle-reeces-best-meal-ever/
maybe her grandmother is Venezuelan.
She has stated “My grandfather was Black, and my grandmother was White. A lot of my family are still in Trinidad.”
I guess her grandma was Spanish then (an “abuelita” who cooks paella looks so to me)
https://madamenoire.com/626219/gabrielle-reece-fitness/
Could it be that Alick Augustus Reece and Theresa Matilda Ollivierra are her paternal grandparents? Not a lot of Reece’s in Trinidad and the wife is portuguese.
He’s listed as African Black and also comes from Port of Spain: (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33SQ-G5WV-212?i=368&cc=1923888&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3A24X3-XMR)
Theresa was the daughter of John Ollivierra from Madeira, Portugal and Johanna Parsons. (https://sites.rootsweb.com/~madeira/sur-mart.htm)
@comrade
Maybe, but unlikely. it would make his father a 14 y.o. when Robert Reece was born.
I still think Alick Reese is related to Robert Reese (maybe dad, maybe uncle?). Alick appears in the same ancestry tree as Robert Reece. Robert’s middle name is Eduardo and his supposed grandfather John’s middle name is Edward/Eduard too. His wife Johanna is Johanna Agatha Parsons (daughter of Edward Parsons and Robertha Agatha Bascombe from St. Vincent).
@comrade
It also says there that Johanna’s mother was Robertha Bascomb.
Their full names were John Edward Ollivierra and Johanna Agatha Parsons. John was born in Madeira, Portugal. Johanna was born in St. Vincent, the daughter of Edward Parsons and Robertha Agatha Bascomb.
Seems probable that these are the right people.
Also in the link I provided she stupidly claimed her height is a dead giveaway of African background. What? People in West Africa are shorter than African-Americans on average .
@blablah how so? Alick was 19 years old in 1928 when he emigrated so he would have been 32 when Robert was born.
oops sorry *bablah
Sorry, I don’t know why I saw 1928 as the year of his birth. Lol.