Dr. Joseph Greenberg

Oakland, Calif. Dr. Joseph Greenberg, ornithologist, age 89, died of congestive heart failure on Feb. 24, 2008 at Sunrise of Oakland Hills in Oakland, Calif. Joe was a wry, gentle man who touched countless lives. He will be greatly missed. Born to Jewish Ukranian immigrants, he started bird watching as a child in Revere, Mass. He complete his doctorate at Harvard University following WWII. During the war, he served as a public health officer for the U.S. Navy, where he researched Malaria and other diseases in the South Pacific. His published works lead to his listing in Who's Who in American Scientists in the 1960's. Dr. Greenberg had a wide and varied career at the National Institutes of Health, Stanford University and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. At the time of his "first retirement" in 1980, he was investigating drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis. He retired from CDC to devote himself to his greatest passion in life, teaching people about birds. "Dr. Joe," as he was known by his beloved students at Emory University in Atlanta, continued to teach birding classes following his retirement, until 2003, when his health deteriorated to the point he could no longer conduct his field trips. As an ornithologist, Dr. Greenberg made trips with his students to Thailand, Newfoundland, Manitoba and Montana. He was a pioneer in the campaign to raise awareness about the destruction of songbird habitats in the tropics, particularly the clearing of forests for agriculture. In 1997, he founded the Atlanta Audubon Shade-Grown Coffee Committee, whose work has continued ever since. In 1997, the Georgia Legislature passed a resolution praising his efforts on behalf of birds and birding. Dr. Greenberg had an acute sensitivity to both the music of birds and the classical strains of Mozart, both of which he listened to on the last day of his life. Survivors include four sons: Peter N. Fisher of Queensbury, N.Y., David W. Greenberg of Prince George, British Columbia, Douglas A. Greenberg of Berkeley, Calif., Russell S. Greenberg of Tacoma Park, Md., and a daughter, the Rev. Marti Keller of Decatur, Ga.; nine grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren. Those wishing to remember Dr. Greenberg may send donations to the Southern Adirondack Audubon Society, 55 Lambert Drive, Queensbury, NY 12804, the Pember Museum, 33 W. Main St., Granville, NY 12832, or The Open Door Mission, Box 3306, Glens Falls, NY 12801.