He and his family moved around the midwestern and northeastern United States, and eventually settled in San Francisco, California where he attended Town School and later graduated from San Francisco University High School.
Born in Wellington, Pirie’s father was a diplomat and Pirie was educated first in America at a Jewish kindergarten and Town School for Boys in San Francisco (where his father was serving as a Consul-General), before moving back to New Zealand to attend Wadestown Primary School.
He was raised in San Francisco where he attended Town School but owing to his mother's enormous success in writing numerous romance novels, the family also maintained an estate in the south of France.
Town School for Boys - an independent school based in San Francisco, founded in 1939
Notable alumni include Nick Traina, John Heinz, Ethan Canin, Mark Pirie, Deke Sharon, Alex Gansa, Ulrich Schmid-Maybach, Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel (members of indie band Two Gallants.)
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