Necrology

Harold von Brockdorff '62

Oct. 3, 1938-Oct. 26, 2023

Harold von Brockdorff ’62 died in Westtown, Pa., on Oct. 26, 2023. Born in Hamburg, Germany, on Oct. 3, 1938, Hal and his family migrated to America in 1947, coming to reside in Stamford, N.Y., a farming community near Oneonta. After attending the local schools, Hal enrolled at Mercersburg Academy in Pennsylvania for two years before coming to Hamilton.

On the Hill, he was a member of Chi Psi fraternity and majored in history. A runner, Hal was a member of the cross-country team all four years, ran winter and spring track, and became team captain in his senior year. He was a member of the Block “H” Club beginning in his sophomore year and was also a member of the German Club.

Following graduation, Hal joined the U.S. Navy and served for three years as a pilot. Honorably discharged in 1965 with the rank of lieutenant, he entered Albany Law School, earning his Juris Doctor in 1969. He then practiced law for two years in the firm of Hubert L. Brown, in Norwich, N.Y., after which he took a leave from his profession.

For the next two years, he traveled throughout Germany on a BMW motorcycle, a sojourn that resulted in his decision to leave the practice of law. Instead, Hal drew upon his expertise in the legal field when, in 1974, he accepted a position as an editor for West Publishing Co., then located in New York City, one of the country’s leading publishers of legal research materials. 

At West Publishing, a colleague introduced him to another employee, Lillian Koenig. They began a relationship that led to their marriage on Nov. 23, 1974. Thereafter, they resided in Garden City, N.Y. They had two sons.  

In 1996, after it was acquired by Thomson-Reuters, West Publishing was relocated to Eagan, a suburb of St. Paul, Minn., perhaps not coincidentally the same state where the company had been founded in 1872 by John B. West. Hal continued to work there until his retirement in 2013.

After ending work, he continued his practice of reading extensively, watching the History Channel, and spending time outside. His preferred mode of transportation was his bicycle, which could be described as a distant relative of the motorcycle on which he traveled through his native country during his late 20s. In 2023, following a fall, Hal moved with Lillian from Minnesota to an assisted living community in West Chester, Pa., near the families of their two sons.

A regular donor to the Hamilton Fund, at times steering his contributions to support the track team, Hal recalled with particular pleasure his studies with Professor Otto Liedke. Hal and his mentor, of course, had something in common: both were born in Germany.

Harold von Brockdorff is survived by his wife, his brother Eric von Brockdorff ’55, two sons, three grandchildren, and grandniece Erica Otlowski ’05.

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