Miriam Pierce

A native and long-time New Yorker, Mimi had moved to Lasell Village in Auburndale MA in 2019, along with her husband Philip Pierce, who died in late 2020 from complications associated with Covid-19 infection. She is survived by her children Eric Pierce and Amy Brand, their spouses Debora Hoffman and Matthew Brand, and her 5 grandchildren — Hannah and Emma Pierce-Hoffman, and Isaiah, Orenna and Liraz Brand — along with a large extended family in the NY area.

Mimi was born to Joseph and Becky Cohen on August 27th, 1933, in Brooklyn NY and was the youngest of three sisters. She was predeceased by her older sisters, Leah Kaplan and Ella Wallack. She grew up on Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn, graduated from Brooklyn College, and in 1969 received her masters degree in clinical social work from Hunter College. Phil and Mimi married in 1953 and eventually settled in the Lincoln Center area of Manhattan, where they lived for six decades.

Early in her career, Mimi worked for the Jewish Board of Guardians as a social worker, and later trained in psychoanalytic psychotherapy. She conducted her successful private practice in psychotherapy out of offices on West 57th Street until 2017, when she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She was also involved in co-founding the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy in 1978 and served for many years as its president. She was as passionate about training other therapists, and also taught at Smith College’s social work program and traveled frequently to attend professional conferences. She is co-editor of a 2015 book called Voices from the New York School for Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy.

Phil and Mimi were consummate and adventurous New Yorkers, enjoying the city’s many department stores and restaurants, and season tickets to both theatre and ballet with their close friends. They were also inveterate travelers, and ventured to far-flung corners of the globe in their later years, collecting local art along the way. When their children were young, the family summered in Fire Island NY. Later on, Mimi and Phil enjoyed gardening and hosting family and friends at a second home in New Lebanon, NY.

Her memory is a blessing for her children, grandchildren and extended family. A small memorial service for immediate family will be held at 2:30pm on April 25th at the Sharon Gardens cemetery in Valhalla, NY. A family celebration of Mimi and Phil’s life will be held some time later in the year when larger gatherings are possible.