Carl I. Greenberg passed away on August 19, 2026, surrounded by the people who love him most the world and who will miss his brilliance, humor, and quiet consistency more and more with each passing day. They are: the love of his life, his wife Denny (Barsdorf), his adoring children, Bryan (Jamie) and Rebecca, and his beloved grandsons, Charlie and Elliott. A good man has left this world, and he will never be forgotten.
Carl was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Bayside, New York, the only child of the late Charlie and the late Florence (Honig) Greenberg. He had a wonderful childhood, filled with all the adventures of a kid in the city. There he gained his love of pizza, bagels, black & white cookies, the Knicks, and the Mets. He had an ice cream cart and would set up shop right outside Shea Stadium.
Carl and Denny were thrown together, along with a group of other grad students, in a house in Detroit as they attended Wayne State University. They lived together for a year before they got to really know each other. Denny helped him out by typing some of his papers, and she continued to take care of him to his last days. Such was the level of love and commitment in their 50+ years together. And Carl gave as good as he got, being the most loving husband and father.
Those father duties came along with the birth of Bryan and, later, Rebecca. Carl was an amazing father. He shared his love of learning and knowledge with his kids, along with being incredibly supportive. He was the dad that all the kids loved to have around.
Professionally, Carl earned a PhD in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and started his career teaching at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He jumped over to the corporate world with Union Pacific Railroad and then Southwestern Bell, the move that brought the family to St. Louis. (After some time, he wisely switched his baseball allegiance to the Cardinals.) He eventually started his own consulting business.
He and Denny loved to travel and were planning their next trip up until his death. That’s the kind of optimism he displayed his entire life. Carl loved music and movies and he and Bryan were working on a screenplay together. He was humble, funny, and dependable…and he will be deeply missed.
May his memory forever be a blessing.
Visitation will begin at 9:15 AM on Sunday, August 23rd, at Berger Memorial Chapel, 9430 Olive Blvd., in Olivette, with a Funeral Service beginning at 10 AM. Interment will immediately follow at Chesed Shel Emeth Cemetery, 650 White Rd., in Chesterfield.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made in Carl’s name to Congregation B’nai Amoona, Siteman Cancer Center, or the charity of choice.
