Holbrooke was born on April 24, 1941, in New York City, to Dan Holbrooke, a doctor, and Trudi Kearl (née Moos), a potter; brother, Andrew, survives him [REF].
Holbrooke's father, who died of cancer when Richard was 15 years old,[REF] was born of Polish Jewish parents in Warsaw and took the name Holbrooke after migrating to the United States in 1939.