Ambassador Charles A. Heimbold Jr.

It is with great sadness, deep affection and enduring love that we announce the passing and mourn the death of Charles A. Heimbold, Jr. who left us after a long illness. He died at his beloved home in Riverside, Connecticut on August 20, 2024, at the age of 91. At the end, he was surrounded by his loved ones – a large family he cherished as well as dedicated caregiver Nick Abaatu.

He leaves behind those central to his life and to his happiness, especially his life companion, Monika, to whom he was married for 62 years, as well as his daughter Joanna, his sons Eric, Leif and Peter, grandchildren Eamonn and Quinn Welliver, Lucien, Charlie, Calliope and Finley (deceased) Heimbold, brothers Arthur, Richard, Peter (deceased), David and John, daughters-in-law Adrienne and Katie, as well as 22 accomplished nieces and nephews.

He was born on May 27, 1933, to Mary and Charles Heimbold, the eldest of six boys, in a working-class neighborhood in Newark, NJ, and grew up in Tom’s River and Island Heights, NJ. To help pay for college, he joined the Naval Reserve and became an expert navigator, a talent that would serve him well on future family sailing trips on Bluebell, the 42-foot sloop that he loved because it was beautiful and it was blue. After graduating from Villanova University, where he studied engineering, he served for three years in the US Navy, with his final tour of duty as chief engineering officer on a destroyer, the USS Gainard. Not only did that experience help cement his love of the sea and boating, it also complemented the natural leadership skills that he developed living in a family as the eldest of six brothers.

While he found the Navy appealing, a law career beckoned and he graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. It was during a summer law school program at The Hague in the Netherlands that he met a young Swedish fashion designer, Monika Barkvall. It was love at first sight. She would come to the U.S. in 1960, they would marry two years later and start their family in Brooklyn Heights while he worked his first job at Millbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy. In 1963, he would leave to join the law department at Bristol-Myers Squibb Company at that time a leading diversified consumer, health care, nutritional and pharmaceutical products company rising through the corporate ranks with increasing levels of responsibility, eventually being named company President in 1992, Chief Executive Officer in 1994 and Chairman of the Board in 1995. During Charles’ tenure at Bristol-Myers Squibb, the corporation was awarded the National Medal of Technology in 1998 by former President Bill Clinton.

In 1999 then UN Secretary Kofi Annan and Charles discussed the role Bristol-Myers Squibb could play to alleviate the anguish of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. That program, called SECURE THE FUTURE, became the largest program of its kind anywhere in the world and thus far has aided more than 1 million women and children in 22 countries in Africa. In recognition of that effort, Charles received the Mandela Award from THE MEDUNSA Trust.

Charles would retire in 2001 as Chairman Emeritus when he was nominated to become U.S. Ambassador to Sweden by President George W. Bush. He began his tenure in Sweden just two days after the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks. His Ambassadorship lasted until 2004 when he returned to the U.S.

During this long and distinguished business and public service career, Charles also served in many capacities, including as Deputy Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as a director on the Board of Exxon Mobil and Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. Reflecting his strong commitment to education he also served on the boards of the Law School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Sarah Lawrence College. He received an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Villanova University, and an Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Evansville. He also had served as the Chairman of the Board of Phoenix House, an agency devoted to drug abuse treatment. Mr. and Mrs. Heimbold also endowed a chair for Irish Studies at Villanova, a chair for Law and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania Law School and sponsored a new Visual Arts Center at Sarah Lawrence College. Through the Heimbold Family Foundation, the Heimbolds also have supported the World Childhood Foundation founded by Queen Silvia of Sweden, the American Scandinavian Foundation and numerous other worthy efforts.

At the end of his career at Bristol-Myers Squibb, Charles Heimbold quoted a Swedish proverb in his memoir, an approach to life that he tried to honor:

“Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more and all good things are yours.” No wonder he concluded his memoir with this statement:

“I am a very lucky man to have learned that everything is possible and to have lived my life so full, so far and for so long.” All those who knew Charles Heimbold, as husband, father, brother, grandfather, leader or friend would also consider themselves fortunate to have been a part of his life, touched by his love and caring.

When asked what he would like to hear God say when he arrived at the pearly gates, our Charlie replied: “Welcome. You’ve done a good job. Your family and friends are waiting for you.”

Amen. We love you. You will be missed.

A wake will be held at Leo P. Gallagher Funeral Home at 31 Arch Street, Greenwich, CT on Thursday September 5th from 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm.

Funeral services will be held Friday September 6th at 10:00 am at St. Mary Church in Greenwich, Connecticut, 178 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT. Reception to follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The American Scandinavian Foundation and The World Childhood Foundation.

https://www.amscan.org/

https://www.childhood-usa.org/donation-page/