Thomas Birkbeck

Thomas S. Birkbeck of North Hills passed away Sat., May 12, 2012. Beloved Husband to the late Mary Winning. Loving Son to the late Arthur and Florence Birkbeck. Dear Brother to his Identical Twin, the late Daniel S., and the late Robert A., William and Arthur Birkbeck, Ruth Graff and Margaret Wasson. Tom proudly served his country, along side his brother Dan, during WW II with the Army Air Corp., The Eighth Air Force, 452nd Bomb Group. Born Dec. 30, 1920, Tom and Dan were given the top two dresser drawers as a bassinet. They were inseparable from the start. They graduated from Northeast High School in Jan., 1939 and the Charles Morris Price School of Advertising and Journalism after WW II. They were world renowned artists, studied under Norman Rockwell; active community members and Rotarians, the Willow Grove Club since 1963. Entrepreneurs from childhood, award winning "Saturday Evening Post" paper route, chalk sidewalk scoreboards for pennies thrown from the windows of the factories while they kept score for the workers during the World Series as well as many other artistic and creative endeavors. In the 1950s, they went into business with their older brother Rob and formed Birkbeck Brothers Inc. Known throughout the community for their hard work, honesty, excellent products and service, they developed a very successful business around the shopping center they built, "537 Horsham Plaza". Passionate billiard player and promoter, Tom, along with his twin brother, Dan, made it a life mission to restore dignity and passion to the sport of billiards. Retired to work and their passions. Along with the art work of the players and billiard industry greats to preserve their legacy in the billiard industry, as well as many other billiard events and competitions, in Jan. 1991 Tom and Dan were the creators of the World Billiard Federation's "Team America", today's "Mosconi Cup". They founded Birkbeck, Inc. a family run Brunswick Billiard and Game Center in their shopping center. Tom and Dan were more active in their 80s than most Americans today in their 30s, 40s and 50s! A life full of love for all animals, Tom and Dan were known in the 1980s and 1990s for their Devon Horse Show Art, capturing through their art, real "behind the scenes" and in the ring competition for all the events. In the 1990s Tom and Dan donated their Royal Lipizzan Art Work to help raise money for the stallions rescued from WW II by Col. Herrmann. Their most recent endeavors were to try and bring more public awareness to the S.P.C.A.'s great work and animals up for adoption. Family, friends and all organizations of which Tom was a member are invited to Tom's life celebration from 7 to 9 PM Monday, May 21, 2012 and Tuesday, May 22, 2012 from 10 to 11 AM at Craft Givnish Funeral Home, Abington. Funeral service and interment will be held privately. In lieu of flowers, a donation in Tom's memory to Montgomery S.P.C.A., 1006 Edge Hill Rd., Abington, PA 19001, would be appreciated.