By: Tiffany Razzano
She was born Mar. 3, 1912 in Brooklyn, to Mae Florence and Henry Howard Kiermaier. Her predeceased brother was William Kiermaier, a World War II veteran.
von Brook graduate from Lynbrook High School in 1930 and from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in 1933 with a degree in Interior Decoration.
Her first marriage was to John A. Pirie in 1936. Their two children are John S. Pirie and JoAnn Lorenzen.
In 1966, she married Fred H. von Brook, whose family owned a well-known delicatessen in Rockville Centre. She was stepmother to Virginia Zagorski Heitman and Rick von Brook. Fred died in 1996.
She is survived by 11 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren as well as two nephews Daniel and William Kiermaier.
In 1991, von Brook became a member of the Fortnightly Club of Rockville Centre, Phillips House Museum, and Historical Society. She enjoyed dancing at the Sandel Senior Centre and helped with decorations.
For many years in the eighties she was a member and tour guide at Clark Botanic Gardens.
Her affiliations with various clubs, groups, and committess enabled her to use her talents and energy to the fullest. She was constantly educating herself in subjects such as landscape architecture, watercolor, calligraphy, flower arranging, religion, and genealogy.
Her activities, included decorating a large doll house, travel, dancing, swimming, acting in little theaters in her earlier days, reading and decorating.
According to her wishes, a service was held to celebrate her life at the Unity Church of Christianity in Valley Stream on June 1. She had been a member of this church since 1978, where she was active in designing their meditation garden and the new church sanctuary.
Memorial donations in von Brook's name may be contributed to your favorite charity.
