JAMES BIRLE

1936 - 2023

BIRLE--James Robb. January 25, 1936 - July 19, 2023. James Robb Birle, beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and friend, died peacefully at home on July 19, 2023 in the Village of Golf, Florida. He will be remembered for his magnanimous heart, leadership, and generosity. He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 53 years, Mary McDaniels Birle, and brothers Jack and Joseph Birle. He was 87. Born in Philadelphia, PA in 1936 and raised in Drexel Hill, he was the middle son of Mildred (Donnelly) and John George Birle. He attended Malvern Preparatory High School and graduated from Villanova University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1958, where he played on the golf team. After graduation from college, Jim moved to San Jose, California to join The General Electric Company in the Nuclear Energy Division. It was in California where he met his future wife, Mary, and where they lived for sixteen years raising their four children in Los Gatos, California. In 1977 Jim became Vice President of the Far East Division of General Electric in New York and Jim and Mary moved their family to Greenwich, Connecticut, where they lived for four years. In 1981, Jim and his family moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he served for two years as Vice President and General Manager of the Air Conditioning Division of GE. After other positions at GE back in Connecticut, Jim retired from the company in 1988 as Senior Vice President and Group Executive. Jim joined The Blackstone Group in New York in 1988 as one of its first partners and was with the firm until 1994. At Blackstone, he served as Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Collins & Aikman Group. He was a member of the Board of Massachusetts Mutual Life for fifteen years and served as its chairman from 2005-2007. Jim also served on the boards of Connecticut Mutual Life, IKON Office Solutions, and Drexel Industries, amongst others. Throughout his career, he found joy in mentoring and supporting the careers and lives of those around him. Jim loved playing golf and was a member of the Shelter Harbor Golf Club in Rhode Island, where he served as president, The Country Club of Florida, and The San Francisco Golf Club. Jim loved boating, which he enjoyed with Mary during their summers in Rhode Island. Jim was devoted to his alma mater Villanova University and served as a trustee for ten years. He and his wife Mary loved classical music and supported the Lynn Conservatory of Music in Boca Rotan, Florida. Jim enjoyed traveling with his wife throughout their marriage and with his brother Joe in later years. Jim is survived by his children; Jim Birle, Jr. (Judy) of Summit, New Jersey; Anne Birle Veh (George) of Mill Valley, California; Lexie Clifford (Scott) of San Anselmo, California; John Birle (Sue) of Winter Park, Florida; and eleven grandchildren. A Funeral Mass will be held at St. Juliana Catholic Church in West Palm Beach, Florida at noon on August 26, 2023. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Lynn Conservatory of Music, 3601 N. Military Trail, Boca Rotan, FL 33431, and The Augustinian Fund, 214 Ashwood Road, Villanova, PA 19085.