Patrick Francis Kirmer

Patrick was born to John and Johannah Kirmer in Hollywood, California on May 1, 1929. Pat was one of six children, four boys and two girls. During his early years he worked with his father, John, in the family butcher shop. He enlisted in the Army during the Korean War, and served stateside for three years. After leaving the service, Pat completed his college education at the California College of Arts and Crafts in northern California. He moved to New York, where he received a Scholarship to the Brooklyn Museum to pursue his studies in art. Upon completing his education, he went to work at the Baldwin School in Manhattan. He taught art there for 30 years, and retired in 1988. During his career at the Baldwin School, he worked at the Baldwin School Camp in Keene Valley, New York. This was his introduction to the Adirondacks and his beloved Johns Brook.
Upon retiring, Pat and his wife Therese, moved to Keene Valley and eventually purchased a home on Market Street. Johns Brook became Pat’s muse and he devoted the vast majority of his time painting the brook. Pat was very engaged with the community and volunteered at the Keene Valley Fire Department selling raffle tickets for their Annual Field Day. He was very engaged with the Keene Central School and he worked tirelessly on sets for many school plays. He was also known as the “apple man”, because of his yearly custom of passing out apples to trick or treaters on Halloween.
Over the past several months, Pat had been living at the Essex Center nursing facility. He took his last “brush stroke” on the evening of May 3rd. Pat and Therese had no children and he was predeceased by two sisters, and two brothers. He is survived by his brother Michael Kirmer and his wife Sandy, who live in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Pat established an annual Johns Brook Scholarship Fund to support a deserving graduating student from Keene Central School who plans to major in music, art, or theater. Memorial donations may be made to the Adirondack Foundation, PO Box 288, Lake Placid, NY 12916 or visit https://www.adirondackfoundation.org/funds/johns-brook-art-and-music-scholarship-fund . All gifts will be added to the John’s Brook Scholarship Fund.
There will be an open house celebration of Pat’s life at the Keene Valley Congregational Church in the Van Santvoord room on November 16 from 4:30 to 7 pm. People are encouraged to come when convenient and share stories about Pat. Late next spring or early summer there will be an exhibition and sale of Pat’s works of art at the Keene Arts Gallery.