George Wendell Birkhofer

April 14, 1932- March 9, 2015

George Wendell Birkhofer passed away on March 9, 2015 in Santa Barbara, California. Wendell was born in Dow City, Iowa on April 14, 1932, the first child of John Alfred Birkhofer and Dorothy Wiley.

Wendell grew up on a farm in Tacoma, Washington and attended Clover Park High School. He graduated with a B.A. degree in History from Stanford University, where he was a member of the Class of 1955 and Beta Theta Pi fraternity. He began his career at Merrill Lynch in New York City in the management training program. Wendell had a long and successful career in the investment brokerage business in Southern California, including time at Shearson, Hammill and Co. and its successor companies, where he rose to become West Coast regional sales manager. He eventually founded his own firm, Wen Birkhofer and Co., in Century City in 1978.

Wendell's greatest passion in life was spending quality time with family and close friends. From his home in Santa Monica Canyon in the 1970s, to summers in Hawaii and family gatherings in Monterey, he fostered many special memories. In his younger days, he enjoyed playing basketball and tennis. Later, he was an avid fan of Stanford athletics and L.A. Angels baseball. He will be remembered for his sense of humor, gentle smile, and overwhelming love of life and those he held dear.

His five sons were Wendell's proudest accomplishment. He had three children with his first wife Joan Safarik: Wendell Wiley, Eric Dean, and Steven Craig Birkhofer. He and his second wife, Suzanne Armet Birkhofer, also had two sons: Baron Maximilian and Breton George Birkhofer. He is survived by Suzanne; his five sons; four grandchildren; and two sisters, Nancy Sundby and Mary Newbury.

The family will be holding a private ceremony to celebrate Wendell's life. In lieu of flowers, they suggest a donation to Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara (vnhcsb.org), which provided tremendous support during his end of life battle with congestive heart failure.