Bartholomew T. Tiernan III

Bartholomew T. Tiernan, III, 81, of Laurel Hollow, New York, died on Friday, July 12, 2024, in Oxford, England. Born in Brooklyn, New York on August 28, 1942, Bart was the son of Bartholomew and Norma Tiernan and spent his childhood in Huntington, New York. Bart lived a full and cultured life as a successful lawyer, loving husband, and devoted father and grandfather.
Bart graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1965 and received his law degree from Yale Law School in 1968. He began his career at Cravath, Swaine & Moore and then worked at Sullivan & Cromwell before moving to Washington D.C. to serve as the executive assistant to Bill Casey, the Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States. It was in Washington D.C. that Bart met his beloved wife, Louise "Nini" Giffuni. They moved back to New York, where they married and where Bart worked for Patterson, Belknap and Webb before going out on his own and establishing his firm, McGuire & Tiernan. In the early 1990s, Bart founded Gemelli Investors, a fund of funds specializing in hedge funds and leveraged buyout funds, which he ran until his passing.
A bona fide Anglophile, Bart was happiest while traveling to England with Nini, where they enjoyed bird shooting, attending performances at Garsington, and frequenting the Masterpiece London Art Fair. Bart spent his free time cultivating his mind - a collector of fine art and rare books, he studied Greek, Italian, and the piano, attended the opera and adored classical music.
In pursuit of his interests, Bart was a member of the Metropolitan Opera Club, the Long Island Wyandanch Club, and was deeply involved in the Yale Center for British Art. He was an active member of the Union Club and the Racquet Club in New York, the Lyford Cay Club, and was a proud member of Mory's.
Possessing an acerbic wit and keen mind, Bart was a gifted storyteller and conversationalist. People would leave a conversation with Bart having learned something new or with a new book to read, or newspaper article to review. Bart has been described as "a total riot," "delightful," "a force with a kind smile and sparkle in his eye" and (more than once) "one-of-a-kind." There was truly no one like him. He will be remembered for his extraordinary intellect, his blistering sense of humor, his precise and extensive use of the English language, and his impeccable attire.
For his wife and twin daughters, Olivia and Julia, Bart's biggest legacy is his love of family. A deeply devoted husband and exceptionally loving father, Bart found his greatest joy in being surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He and Nini were incredibly affectionate and engaged parents who gave their daughters a beautiful life in Laurel Hollow, New York. To his daughters, Bart passed on a love of learning, an appreciation for music and art, and a love of travel. He was supportive of all of their endeavors and would speak about them with pride. Known as "Boss" to his grandchildren, Bart took great pleasure in reading to them, teaching them backgammon, taking them skeet and bird shooting, and discussing WWII history at length. Whether at the family home in Laurel Hollow or at their vacation home in Lyford Cay, Bart's eyes would light up whenever his loved ones entered the room.
Bart is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Louise "Nini" Giffuni Tiernan, his daughters, Olivia Tiernan Geary and Julia Tiernan Weidinger, sons-in-law, Alfred "Ted" Geary and Hugh "Jack" Weidinger, and his grandchildren, Teddie Geary, Hugh, William, and Eliza Weidinger.
He will be deeply missed and loved forever.
A funeral will be held at St. John's Church in Cold Spring Harbor, New York at 11am on Wednesday, August 28, 2024.