William Berbaum Obituary
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William R. Berbaum, 84, passed away peacefully at home in Bloomfield, NJ, on September 16, 2025. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, he graduated from Barringer High School in 1959. He married his high school sweetheart, Barbara Bonnet, the following year and after their children were born they moved to Bloomfield, NJ. Bill worked for Coca-Cola as a driver and also drove a taxi while attending night school at Bloomfield College, graduating in 1970 with a BS in Biology.
Over the next 25+ years, Bill dedicated his career to federal government agencies including the Environmental Protection Agency, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, and the Food and Drug Administration where he was passionate about consumer and citizen safety. He also served as a Union representative for several years.
After taking early retirement in 1995, Bill utilized his expertise as an FDA Inspector to consult for pharmaceutical companies worldwide, with Barbara accompanying him on these global adventures. Europe, Japan, China, Australia, Scandinavia, India, South America and South Africa are some of the destinations they explored together.
Bill had many hobbies over the years, always going all-in. He enjoyed biking, running, kayaking and cooking but his true passion was fishing. He found his greatest joy on his boat, fishing or crabbing with family and friends on the Barnegat Bay.
He is predeceased by his parents, William J. Berbaum and Edna (Cheley) Berbaum, and his brothers, Edward and Robert. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Barbara Berbaum, his son Gary Berbaum, daughter Deborah (Michael) Brandell, grandsons Robert (Kelly) Brandell and Davis Brandell, and great-grandson Peter Brandell.
A Celebration of Life gathering will be held on October 12th in West Orange. Please contact the family directly for details. Donations may be made in his memory to the American Littoral Society, Highlands, NJ.
To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.
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1284 Broad Street, Bloomfield, NJ 07003
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