Obituary of Hermine M. Kirschbaum

Hermine was born to Hermann and Emma Rolf in Lenggries, Germany (in beautiful Bavaria, nestled in the alps), on April 17th, 1930. She and her family survived the horrors of WWII, and she met her husband, Major David Kirschbaum, after the war while he was stationed in Munich. They married and had 3 children; Susan, Bonnie and Robert. After living the typical military life of pulling up stakes, and moving several times, the family finally crossed the ocean for good, and settled in Pennsville, NJ in 1969. Volunteering was always a part of Hermine's life. First with the local PTA, then with the Juvenile Conference Committee of Pennsville, helping rehabilitate youthful offenders. She served on the board of Philadelphia Chamber of Music Society for several years later in her life. But mostly, she was a devoted, and very active member of the Lutheran Church of St. Ambrose, where she taught Sunday School, was a member of WELCA, sang in the choir, and read and wrote lessons for church services. Her extraordinary gift for writing was very much appreciated by her pastor and the congregation. She also taught German to a few fellow church members. She worked at the Riverview Inn, as a hostess, for a few years in the early 90's, but mostly worked at home and volunteered. Her love and appreciation for classical music was well known, and she amassed a huge collection with hundreds of CDs. Her knowledge of the classic composers and symphonies went unrivaled. She was a staunch supporter of, and season ticket holder for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Hermine routinely visited the Academy of Music, and the Kimmel Center for their performances every Friday afternoon for decades. She was also a big fan and supporter of the beautiful, historic Fort Mott State Park, located in her adopted home town of Pennsville. Her husband David, and grandson Michael were both lucky enough to work there. Hermine was a daily visitor there, alongside her dog Max, and were staples of the local community. She was predeceased by her husband, David, her sisters, Lotte and Emily, and by her beloved children Bonnie and Robert. Surviving family members are Susan Murray, of Arizona, and three grandsons – Michael and Jeffrey Bonaccorsi, of Pennsville, and Will Murray of Washington State. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to Hermine's favorite charities: The Philadelphia Orchestra, PBS-WHYY Ch. 12, WRTI Classical, or the Lutheran Church of St. Ambrose. Services are private due to COVID-19 restrictions. www.laughreyfuneralhome.com