Brooke Astor Brooke Astor Roberta Brooke Astor (née Russell; March 30, 1902 – August 13, 2007) was an American philanthropist, socialite, and writer who was the chairwoman of the Vincent Astor Foundation, which had been established by her third husband, Vincent Astor, son of John Jacob Astor IV and great-great grandson of America's first multi-millionaire, John Jacob Astor. Brooke Astor was the author of two novels and two volumes of personal memoirs. Brooke was born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the only child of John Henry Russell, Jr. (1872–1947), the 16th Commandant of the Marine Corps, and his wife, Mabel Cecile Hornby Howard
Violet Astor 5th Marquess of Lansdowne, and Maud Evelyn Hamilton. They had two children: Her husband was killed in action on 30 October 1914 while fighting in World War I. On 28 August 1916 she married John Jacob Astor, 1st Baron Astor of Hever, youngest son of William Waldorf Astor, 1st Viscount Astor, and Mary Dahlgren Paul. They had three sons: She died on 3 January 1965 in her villa at Pégomas, near Grasse. Lord Astor died on 19 July 1971. Violet Astor Violet Mary Elliot-Murray-Kynynmound DStJ (28 May 1889 – 3 January 1965) was an English aristocrat. She was the daughter