A. Thomas ‘Tom’ Behrens

WEST CORNWALL — Alfred Thomas (Tom) Behrens, 86, died suddenly on Nov. 8, 2016, surrounded by his loving family. He lived in Huntington, N.Y., but had come for the past 50 years to West Cornwall for family vacations. 

Tom was born in Queens, N.Y., on Dec. 4, 1929. He attended Bryant High School, Class of 1948, and graduated from the City College of New York in 1952, where he studied accounting and business systems, and continued his post-graduate work at Columbia University. 

Tom was an early pioneer in computer programming, working at General Foods, Standard Brands and the Coca Cola Company on some of the first IBM mainframe computers. 

He formed his own consulting company in the early 1970s and continued to learn new skills and work with clients his entire life. 

Throughout his career Tom was a mentor and role model for many young people, and was responsible for training one of the first women programmers at Standard Brands in the 1950s. 

Tom was a veteran of the U.S. Army, having served during the Korean War.

He met his wife, Marrilyn, the “love of his life,” at a Luther League softball game in Alley Pond Park in 1952. They were married in 1954 and together they had three children, Thomas, Barbara and Kristen.  Tom loved spending time with his family, both on Long Island, where he lived for his entire life, and up in “the country” of northwestern Connecticut, where family and friends came together for over 50 years. But nothing made him happier than when everyone gathered together for a dinner celebration masterminded by Marrilyn.  

Tom was a diehard New York Jets and New York Rangers fan, and his love of sports, especially golf, helped forge a special bond with his son, nephews and grandnephews. 

His “little ducks” — granddaughters Sarah and Haley — brought him immense joy and they in turn loved his humor and wit.  

Tom is survived by his wife of 62 years, Marrilyn Ann Behrens; his son Tom Behrens and his partner, Shelley Griffin; his daughters, Barbara (Behrens) Peck and her husband, Jeff Peck and Kristen Behrens; his beloved grandchildren, Sarah Austen Peck and Haley Elisabeth Peck; and his sister, Florence Klotsche.

A celebration of his life is being planned for a later date.  

Donations in lieu of flowers may be made in Tom’s name in honor of Dr. Nathaniel Berman through the Rogosin Institute for Kidney Disease, an affiliate of New York Presbyterian Hospital and Weill Cornell Medical College, at www.rogosin.org/donate or by phone at 646-317-0709.