Alex was born to Nicholas and Svetlana Umrichin on 21 May 1946, in Pfronten, Germany, immigrating to the US and Nyack in 1951. He attended Nyack schools graduating from NHS in 1963. Alex graduated Pennsylvania Military College, Chester PA with a BS in Economics and commissioned a 2d Lieutenant in the US army on 27 May 1967.
After completing the Field Artillery Basic Officer Course at Ft. Sill, OK and Airborne training at the Ft. Benning, GA, Alex was assigned to the 2/321st FA Bn, 82nd Airborne Division, Ft. Bragg, NC. On 8 February 1968 he was deployed to Vietnam as the Battalion Adjutant in response to the TET Offensive. In the following 19 months in RVN he also served as a Battery XO, a Battalion Fire Direction Officer and as a Battery Commander. Returning to Ft. Sill in 1969, he served as a tactics instructor at the Field Artillery School and attended the FA Officer’s Advanced Course. His next assignment was in Germany where he served as a Battalion Motor Officer, Intelligence Officer and as a Battery Commander until leaving active duty in 1975.
He continued to serve in the US Army Reserve units in New York, Michigan and Illinois in various capacities. In 1990 he was deployed to Operation Desert Storm as the Operations Officer of the 301st Support Command participating in the planning and advanced party movement of the 3rd Army Headquarters to Kuwait. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 995 from the 1179th Transportation Group where he served as its Executive Officer.
Alex has an MBA from the Keller Graduate School of Management and the US Army’s Command and General Staff College. He also completed the Infantry and Armor Officer Advanced Courses and qualified as a Special Weapons Employment Officer and in Psychological Operations.
Alex’s awards include:
• Bronze Star (w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster)
• Air Medal
• Meritorious Service Medal (w/3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Commendation Medal (w/3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Achievement Medal
• National Defense Service Medal (w/1 Bronze Star)
• Vietnam Service Medal
• Armed Forces Reserve Medal
• Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal (w/3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
• Army Service Ribbon
• Overseas Service medal
• Vietnam Campaign Medal (w/6 Campaign Stars)
• Southwest Asia Service Medal (w/2 Bronze Stars)
• Kuwait Liberation Medal, Valorous Unit Award
• Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross w/palm
• Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation
• Meritorious Unit Award, The Parachutist’s
• Aircraft Crewman
• Expert Rifle and Pistol badges
• 4 Overseas Bars
After leaving active duty in 1975, Alex joined the Domino Sugar Corporation as a sales manager in New York and later based in Detroit and as a Regional Sales Manager in Chicago. He returned to New York in 1989 in a new capacity to automate the sales force implementing the then newly appearing desktop computers. Retiring form Domino Sugar in 1998 he then joined Computer Associates as a Business Intelligence Consultant. He was recently retired and consulting with various companies on Web based Business Intelligence projects while living between Pomona, NY and Del Ray Beach Florida.
Alex married Gilda Servidio of West Nyack, NY in 1970 and had two sons, Paul (1971) and Nicholas (1975). Alex is a member of the Parish of the Holy Virgin Protection Russian Orthodox Church in Nyack, member of Mensa, and is a life member of the Nyack American Legion Post 310, Nyack VFW Post 9215, the Military Officers Association of America, and the 82nd Airborne Division Association.
Alex is survived by his loving wife Gilda, his sister and her husband Galina and John Petraborg, his sons Paul and Nicholas, daughters-in-law Cathy and Benay, grandchildren Ethan, Danielle, Allyson, Timothy, Samantha, Caitlynn, and Bryce, as well as 2 great grandchildren, many nieces, nephews, and other family.
Viewing Services will be held on Thursday December 3, 2015 between 6:00-9:00pm and Funeral on Friday December 4th at 11:00am both at Holy Virgin Protection Church 51 Prospect St. Nyack, NY. In lieu of flowers you can make a donation in his name to his American Legion C.R. & R.O. Blauvelt Post 310 P.O Box 302 Nyack, NY 10960.