BERKELEY — A neighborhood in South Berkeley mourned Monday as it awaited answers following the deaths of two beloved residents.

Authorities found Dora Bibbs, 87, and Gary White, 56, dead on Saturday inside an apartment in the 1300 block of Haskell Street that they shared. They died under “suspicious circumstances” according to Berkeley police, who have not revealed any other information.

White’s family confirmed his identity as well as Bibbs’ on Monday, and Berkeley police released them officially Thursday. They had no new information on how the two died and said they still awaiting autopsy results from the Alameda County Coroner’s Office.

Bibbs had suffered from cancer recently, according to family. She was like a mother to the residents in her neighborhood, where she lived for a half century. White, also entrenched in the neighborhood for years, found his niche there, too, becoming the go-to for all car mechanical issues.

“I’m really numb right now. The people in the neighborhood loved them both,” Berkeley resident and community activist Todd Walker said of his longtime neighborhood chums.

Bibbs, a mother of seven whom Walker said had “at least 20 grandchildren,” retired years ago and became a visible — and vocal — presence within the neighborhood.

“She was just a sweet, down-to-earth lady,” Walker said. “She didn’t bite her tongue about anything, but her door was always open to anybody anytime. She never judged anybody. She treated everybody the same.”

White did landscaping work and worked on cars so much that he earned a reputation. “He was the go-to guy,” Walker said. “He was the neighborhood handy man. A good guy. A quiet guy.”

Police and firefighters received a 911 call around 11 a.m. Saturday. Police said afterward that firefighters found the two inside the apartment, which is detached from a home, and that other family members were outside the apartment when officers arrived.

An autopsy is expected to determine whether carbon monoxide, gas and any other substances may have leaked into the home.

Less than a month ago, Roger and Valerie Morash died in an apartment about a mile away of what police later said was “acute carbon monoxide intoxication.” The married couple and their two cats were found dead Jan. 23 inside