Philanthropist. Arriving in America in 1931 she would share her love and patriotism for her adopted country for the rest of her life and the name de Hoernle has become associated the last 60 years with generosity, giving over $40,000,000 with her husband to numerous charities in Boca Raton, surrounding areas and in New York, originally her home. She belonged to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the Knights of Malta, being a holder of the Grand Cross, Dame Commander of Justice and Ambassador at Large and in 2012 became one of 3 individuals in the world to receive The OSJ's highest award, the Cross of Merit. The Countess served on over 30 charitable boards and has her name on 40 non profit buildings in Boca Raton alone. Her 100th birthday was celebrated by the city with a black tie gala event attended by over 500 people. At age 103 she attended a concert given in her honor and encouraged those in attendance to follow her example of giving. Her obituary in newspaper says that she was "a driving visionary for justice and mercy, whose life was spent serving the sick, the poor, the lonely and the veterans who served our country....her generosity provided the bricks that built so many charities, but her loving spirit was the mortar that held that community together". The Knights of Malta, a chivalric order informed she and her husband Adolph that her husband had a legitimate claim to the title through his family and they were urged to start using the titles, Count and Countess de Hoernle.
Philanthropist. Arriving in America in 1931 she would share her love and patriotism for her adopted country for the rest of her life and the name de Hoernle has become associated the last 60 years with generosity, giving over $40,000,000 with her husband to numerous charities in Boca Raton, surrounding areas and in New York, originally her home. She belonged to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and the Knights of Malta, being a holder of the Grand Cross, Dame Commander of Justice and Ambassador at Large and in 2012 became one of 3 individuals in the world to receive The OSJ's highest award, the Cross of Merit. The Countess served on over 30 charitable boards and has her name on 40 non profit buildings in Boca Raton alone. Her 100th birthday was celebrated by the city with a black tie gala event attended by over 500 people. At age 103 she attended a concert given in her honor and encouraged those in attendance to follow her example of giving. Her obituary in newspaper says that she was "a driving visionary for justice and mercy, whose life was spent serving the sick, the poor, the lonely and the veterans who served our country....her generosity provided the bricks that built so many charities, but her loving spirit was the mortar that held that community together". The Knights of Malta, a chivalric order informed she and her husband Adolph that her husband had a legitimate claim to the title through his family and they were urged to start using the titles, Count and Countess de Hoernle.
