Astor, Brooke 1902–2007

OBITUARY NOTICE—

See index for CA sketch: Born March 30, 1902, in Portsmouth, NH; died of pneumonia, August 13, 2007, in Briarcliff Manor, NY. Socialite, philanthropist, magazine editor and writer, novelist, and memoirist. Astor will not only be remembered as a grand dame of Manhattan society, but also as one of New York City's most generous philanthropists. She grew up in high society and was well known for her celebrity parties, but it was her brief marriage to millionaire philanthropist Vincent Astor that sealed her reputation. When the heir to the vast Astor family fortune died unexpectedly in 1959, his will established a charitable foundation dedicated to alleviating human misery. His widow, who chaired the foundation until its dissolution in 1997, took his directive quite literally. Over a period of thirty-five years she directed the donation of more than two hundred million dollars to benefit the people and causes with the greatest need—the impoverished, the homeless, children, the elderly poor, and even the pets of the elderly poor. Astor often investigated potential recipients herself, personally visiting some of the most impoverished neighborhoods of her beloved city. Most of her donations stayed in the city of New York, the source of her husband's fortune as she claimed, and the New York Public Library became a favorite beneficiary because of her personal love for the written word. Astor had worked as a magazine writer during her marriage. She was a feature editor for House and Garden for ten years, beginning shortly after the end of World War II, and she remained a contributing editor until she reached the age of ninety. She was the author of two novels, The Bluebird Is at Home (1965) and The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree: A Period Piece (1986), and two memoirs, Patchwork Child (1962) and Footprints: An Autobiography (1980). Not included in the memoirs was a highly publicized scandal in 2006, in which her only son was accused of elder abuse and the misappropriation of his mother's fortune for his personal use. The matter was settled with no admission of guilt, and Astor herself had no comment. She wanted the public to focus on the positive: her self-created epitaph reads, ‘I had a wonderful life.’ Astor's life and her accomplishments were celebrated by dozens of awards and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the National Medal of Arts from the National Endowment for the Arts, a Hadrian Award from the World Monuments Fund, and the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.