Morris Birnbaum

Middletown, NY

Morris Birnbaum of Middletown, NY, died on June 21, 2008, at home with his family at his bedside.

He was born in the Bronx, on May 14, 1915, the eldest of four children to Sarah Haber Birnbaum and Adolph Birnbaum.

The family moved to White Lake, NY when he was a very young child. Morris graduated Monticello High School and Syracuse University with a degree in Fine Arts, where his love of painting and drawing began. Morris was a very talented artist and began his career drawing Superman comics and sign painting.

The Great Depression and World War II interrupted these career plans. With his brother, Dan, they started and built the Fuel Gas Corporation in Chester, NY. He continued his life-long love of painting up until several weeks before his death. In his eighties as his hands became too arthritic to hold a brush, he taught himself how to paint using a computer and a drawing stylus, and continued to prolifically produce his art.

He married Ruth Pohl of Loch Sheldrake, NY in 1941, and had three children, Pat Stark, now of Princeton, NJ, Terry Kleeman of Middletown, and Steven Birnbaum of Lexington, MA.

He was an avid tennis player and loved baseball and aspired to be a professional baseball player. He became an accomplished golfer, beginning to play in his thirties. Morris was a member of Temple Sinai and the Orange County Golf Club, and was a Mason and an Elk.

He was a man of great empathy and generosity. He was given the name of "Mr. Anonymous", by many charities, as he often gave and wanted no recognition for his contributions. In retirement, he finally had the time to devote to his art and doting on his family.

He was predeceased by his brother, Daniel Birnbaum and his sister, Mary Zimmerman.

He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Ruth Birnbaum; his sister, Jean Rosenheck; his children: Pat Stark and her husband, Jeff, Terry Kleeman and her husband, Stuart, Steven and his wife, Cyndi; six grandchildren: David, Robert and Rachel Stark, Jennifer Kleeman Wall, Molly and Benjamin Birnbaum; two great-grandchildren, Nicholas Stark and Zachary Wall; one niece and several nephews.

He will be greatly missed.

Funeral Services will be held at 12 noon, today, Monday, June 23, at Temple Sinai, 75 Highland Ave., Middletown, NY. Rabbi Joel Schwab will officiate. Interment will be in Temple Sinai Cemetery, Circleville, NY.

Memorial contributions may be made to either: Temple Sinai, 75 Highland Ave., Middletown, NY 10940 or to People for People Fund, 48 Mill St., Middletown, NY 10940.

Arrangements are under the direction of Cornelius, Dodd & Connell Funeral Home, 26 Grove St., Middletown, NY. For directions or to send condolences, please visit www.connellfuneralhome.com or call 845-343-2142.