William H. Birney Jr. 01/19/2022

It is with our deepest sorrow that we inform you of the death of our beloved husband and father William H. Birney, Jr. who passed away at home on January 19, 2022. He was surrounded by his loving wife of 62 years, Kathy, and his cherished family. He was born on April 18, 1937 in New Haven, CT the son of William H. & Alice King Birney. He was a 1955 graduate of Hamden High School. He actively served in the U.S. Army, Mortar Battery, 1st Battle Group of 15th Infantry, and Third Infantry Division from 1957 to 1959. He continued his military service in the Army reserves until 1962. Bill was stationed in Bamberg, Germany. Of all the places Bill has traveled to throughout his lifetime, Bamberg was his favorite destination. He was extremely happy to have shared a return trip to Bamberg with his sons in 2006.

Bill had an insatiable appetite for learning and an unparalleled memory. While attending College, he contributed to our understanding of human behavior by volunteering in the now iconic Milgram Experiments at Yale University. Bill was instructed to administer electric shocks to a (unbeknownst to Bill) ‘staged actor’. After administering the first shock to the actor, Bill refused to continue and he walked out of the laboratory. Months later in 1962, he received a letter from Yale revealing the study’s purpose and design.

In 1964 he joined the Wallingford Police Department and was a member for 38 years. Bill was always grateful for the support he received from Mayor Rocco Vumbaco who recognized Bill’s strengths and dedication to the force. He was promoted in 1973 to Sgt., where he served as a shift supervisor. Then, in 1979, he was promoted to the rank of Lt. He assumed many responsibilities during his tenure as Lt., including supervising the records division, serving as the Court Liaison Officer, and serving as the departments training officer. Bill was also responsible for implementing the department’s first mainframe computer system, streamlining the transition from a paper records system to a modern computerized records system. Bill served as Interim Police Chief for a time in 1989 when both chief Joseph Bevan and Deputy Chief Darrell York were on medical leave. He finished his career in 2002 after heading the Department’s Detective Division for eight years.

Shortly after retiring, Bill was appointed to the Wallingford Zoning Board of Appeals, chairing the Commission for a large part of his 13-year tenure. Town Council Chairman Vincent Cervoni was a fellow ZBA Commissioner and marveled at Bill’s encyclopedic memory, calm demeanor, and deliberate decision making.

Bill loved to travel. He and Kathy traveled the world, including almost all 50 States.

Bill is pre-deceased by his mother and father as well as his sister Alice Ritchie.

Bill was a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is survived by his loving wife Kathy Moran Birney, seven children, Ralph (Tina), Daughter, Elizabeth Gagliardi (Jim), William (Shelley), Patrick (Paige), Jon, James (Chris) and Randy (Kristina), seventeen grandchildren, and two Great Grandchildren. Bill is also survived by Kathy’s brother and sister-in-law, Charles and Raphael Moran and five nieces and nephews. The family is forever indebted to Bill’s neighbors and great friends Bob and Elaine Johnson. In 1977 they met across a shared driveway and spent the next 45 years sharing life’s many treasured memories.

Friends and relatives are invited to attend calling hours on Wednesday from 4:00 PM to 7:00PM at the Wallingford Funeral Home, 809 North Main St. Ext. Wallingford. A Memorial Service will be held at the Wallingford Funeral Home on Thursday at 11:00AM. There will be a graveside service with Military Honors following at St. John Cemetery, Christian Street, Wallingford, CT. Contributions in memory of William may be made to the Masonic Charity Foundation of CT, P.O. Box 70, Wallingford, CT 06492, or Gaylord Hospital, E.B.G. Fund, 50 Gaylord Farm Road, Wallingford, CT 06492.

www.wallingfordfh.com