Obituary: Paul Alexander Padien Berdoff, 31, Of Greenwich

Information via Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home

Paul Alexander Padien Berdoff – Alex to his friends – passed away November 11, 2019 surrounded by his loving wife Faye, his mother Claire, his father Russell and his siblings Matthew, Elizabeth and David.

Born in 1988 in New York City, Alex grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut and graduated from both Greenwich Country Day School and Greenwich High School before attending Tufts University where he earned degrees in Architecture and Psychology.

Alex met his beloved wife Faye in New York City in 2012 at a Halloween party where he was dressed as Arthur “the Fonz” Fonzarelli (she was dressed as the Black Swan). Together, they moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and were married on April 29, 2017 in Brewood, England. In their seven years together, Alex and Faye shared enough love to last a lifetime.

Alex was a passionate drummer, accomplished and celebrated ultimate frisbee player (nicknamed "Twister" by his loyal Tufts E-Men family) and fan of all things Star Wars. He was kind and caring to every person he met and created new groups of friends everywhere he went.

Throughout his life Alex was an enthusiastic and skilled athlete. Growing up in Greenwich he played baseball, often coached by his father Russell. In his last game in 2006 with his team trailing, Alex stole first and second base on a dropped third strike, sparking a rally that led his team to the championship. In both high school and college, Alex was a highly competitive ultimate frisbee player and helped the Tufts E-Men qualify for the National Tournament after winning the New England Regionals in 2009.

Alex played music all his life and was a drummer in several bands. In high school he drummed with Void, named after Alex and his bandmates’ inability to come up with a name. He went on to form Party Hat (FKA “Interrobang”) at Tufts. A similar group then formed The Smoking Jackets, who eventually had to change their name to Every Flavor Weather Machine after realizing another band in New England by the same name was gaining more popularity on the local wedding circuit. They played all over New York City until Alex moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in the music management business.

Alex was recruited to California by SB Projects where he worked in marketing with artists such as Social House, The Knocks, Fancy, and Eden. His work with Martin Garrix earned a Platinum Record for the single "In the Name of Love" in 2016.

He was endlessly inspired and intrigued by the development of new technology. Throughout his life, Alex was passionately involved in forward thinking ways to better implement technology in both the music industry and everyday life. He refused to ever switch to an iPhone and remained steadfast that the Droid platform was superior, converting his wife and several others in due course.

Alex moved back to New York in 2019 after being diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma in March. He spent the last nine months in treatment at New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Medical Center with his wife and mother by his side every single step of the way. The entire Padien Berdoff family will be forever grateful for the skilled, impassioned and loving team at Sloan Kettering who worked tirelessly to treat Alex in the final months of his life.

Visiting hours will be at Leo P. Gallagher & Son Funeral Home at 31 Arch Street in Greenwich on Thursday, November 14, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. A funeral service will be held at 1 p.m. on Friday, November 15, at St. Michael the Archangel Church at 469 North Street in Greenwich. A reception will be held at the Padien Berdoff home immediately following the funeral at 85 Perkins Road in Greenwich. All family and friends are invited to attend.

The Padien Berdoff family will sit Shiva and welcome visitors at their home at 85 Perkins Road in Greenwich from November 15 to November 22, 2019.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to support Ewing Sarcoma research at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, or to the Tufts E-Men Ultimate Frisbee team.

A link to donate to Ewing Sarcoma research is here. Checks, made payable to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, should be mailed to: Attn: Rachel Flannery Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Office of Development PO Box 27106 New York, NY 10087. Please indicate on the check that the gift is in memory of Alexander Padien Berdoff.

To donate to the Tufts E-Men, click here.