William Alexander Birnbaum, of Greenwich, Connecticut, passed away on September 22, 2022, holding hands with his beloved wife, Kathleen and with his faithful schnauzer, Smokey, resting its head upon his knee. Bill valiantly fought an eleven-year battle with cancer and left life as peacefully as he lived it.
Born on May 24, 1940, in New York City, he was the son of the late Richard and Mildred Birnbaum of Greenwich, Connecticut and Boca Raton, Florida and the younger brother of the late Wendy Ann Birnbaum of New Rochelle, New York. He was also the grandson of Beatrice Behrman founder of Alexander Doll Company, established in 1923, whose dolls have been collected by millions and exhibited in museums around the world.
Educated at New York University and trained from the ground up within the family company Bill rose to become president of Alexander Doll Company and head of the largest toy manufactory, with over 650 employees, in the city of New York. His ethics guided him to maintain a standard of unmatched quality and, until selling the company in 1988, his business philosophy remained steadfastly American. No products with the company name would ever be made in China, shipped to America, assembled here and then be allowed to bear the label “Made in America”.
Throughout his life, he lived and breathed the sport of golf winning many tournaments and titles including fifteen club championships, and was widely known as a true gentleman on and off the course. Traveling to Europe and especially France became such an enjoyment and led to his extensive knowledge and collection of fine wines. The art and cuisine of that country contributed to the creation of many outstanding and memorable trips with friends and family; friends who shared his sense of humor, honesty, and integrity, kindness and empathy. He was gracious to all and so very generous with whoever shared his life.
He is survived by his wife of 52 years, Kathleen, his daughter Stephanie and granddaughter Aimee.
Graveside services are private and a celebration of his life will be held on May 24th, 2023 at 11:00 AM via Zoom. Those wishing to participate please contact Leo P. Gallagher Funeral Home in Greenwich CT
The link to join will be made public at www.leopgallaghergreenwich.com
Memorial Donations may be made to the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center https://giving.mskcc.org/ or
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals https://secure.aspca.org/donate/donate or
The American Junior Golf Association https://www.ajga.org/donate
