Famed New York philanthropist Astor dies at 105

NEW YORK socialite Brooke Astor, a philanthropist whose generous gifts were a cornerstone for cultural institutions and charities across the city, died on Monday at the age of 105.

Ms Astor died of pneumonia at Holly Hill, her estate in Briarcliff Manor, New York, said Kenneth E Warner, lawyer for her son, Anthony Marshall.

Ms Astor was married to Vincent Astor and, when he died, inherited part of a fortune made in fur trading and real estate by John Jacob Astor in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

She donated about $195 million (€77m) to libraries, museums and charitable organisations. She was also a poised and elegant fixture for decades on the New York social scene.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, called her “a quintessential New Yorker and one of the great philanthropists of our time”.

“Tens of thousands of New Yorkers were the beneficiaries of Ms Astor’s good will and kind nature, many unaware of the origins of the donations,” he said.

Former New York mayor, Abraham Beame, once said of her: “She has done more for New York city than any other one person.”

Mr Marshall said that her tombstone would be inscribed with words she had requested: “I had a wonderful life.”

Ms Astor’s last years were marked by controversy, with a court ordering that her care be taken away from Mr Marshall after he was accused by his son, Philip, of keeping her in squalid conditions. Mr Marshall denied the accusations.

The family feud cast a shadow over one of New York’s most renowned and wealthy families. Guardianship of Ms Astor was given to her friend, Annette de la Renta, the wife of designer Oscar de la Renta.

“Brooke left the world peacefully, in a dignified manner, in her own house. We could not have asked for more,” Ms De la Renta said in a statement to The New York Times.

Ms Astor, who was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998, was named as an example of elder abuse during a US senate hearing in Washington last year.

“Money is like manure,” Ms Astor once said, paraphrasing Francis Bacon. “It should be spread around.”

A longtime Republican, Ms Astor often dined with former US president Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy.