George Matthew Van Istendal

On September 6, 2023 George Matthew Van Istendal, Sr., passed away peacefully in Naples, FL. An extraordinary, loving husband, devoted father, super poppy to six amazing grandchildren, Jenny, Liam, George Matthew III, Matt Charles, Aidan and Sydney, and friend of so many, is survived by his three children, Lisa Narozanick (Bill), George Jr. (Pamela), and Glen (Nancy). We would like to share some cute stories about George because we hope they make you feel as good as they do us. Born to Matthew F. Van Istendal, Jr. and Georgianna Mclean Shute, January 24, 1933, George was raised in the Southern NJ, town of Collingswood. George grew up with a wonderful, loving family of aunts, uncles and grandparents who helped raise him in place of his mother, who passed away in childbirth. He was so very lucky to have a great crew of buddies from Collingswood whose friendships would influence him and last his lifetime. Kindergarten best friends, George Franzke and he were held back in the third grade together, graduated high school together, vacationed together and remained friends until the date of George Van’s death. Always mischievous, George and his buddies from Collingswood took vacation road trips in his dad’s 1950 Chevy Coupe and broke almost every rule in the contract his dear father drafted for the use of the car, before leaving the state of NJ! Those were the days of good, clean, old-fashioned fun. George graduated from Collingswood High School where he participated in sports, including throwing javelin with Eugene Orowitz, better known as actor Michael Landon. After proudly serving in the US Navy for three years, he then went on to attend Gettysburg College, in Gettysburg, PA, where he served as President of his fraternity, Phi Kappa Psi. George and his fraternity ‘little brother’ Vince Scola developed a life-long friendship beginning at first as ‘pledges’. At the time of his attendance, then- President Dwight D. Eisenhower was recovering from a heart attack at his Gettysburg property. He needed help in his office and George was hired as the President’s custodian. Sometimes in the evenings working, George would find the President’s sketches, which he drew as part of his physical therapy, discarded in the trash, so he would take them back to his frat house. He and his frat buddies never thought much of the sketches, and they threw them out! What might they be worth today?! The fraternity was a hang-out for the Secret Service because they offered hot coffee 24 hours a day! In turn some of the Secret Service turned an eye when George and Vince drove out to the grass landing strip in the Gettysburg Battlefield to watch the parade of famous friends, stars, WWII Colonels and government officials disembark the small planes. They were starstruck! After college, George returned to southern NJ and became a partner at Markeim-Chalmers Commercial Real Estate Company, Camden, NJ where he worked with his beloved partner, Mort Kerr, and enjoyed approximately 30 years of service. In 1959 George married beautiful Marilyn Moir from Haddonfield, NJ, and enjoyed 50 years of adventures with the love of his life and their three children. An avid fisherman who enjoyed both freshwater and saltwater fishing, George seized the opportunity to visit many local and remote, fly-in only, locales in North America. Much of his fishing time was spent at his home in Avalon, NJ, where he was known as ‘Oyster George’ to the guys at Moran’s, fishing the open waters of the Atlantic for Stripers. He enjoyed fishing the backwaters in the Gulf near Naples, however he was best known for hosting epic fishing trips with his best friends on the Chesapeake Bay. Although a developer of many prime farmsteads into beautiful home communities in the mid-Atlantic, George was best known as the visionary and developer behind Little Mill Golf Club and The Preserve in Evesham Township, Marlton, NJ. Little Mill has consistently been rated one of the finest golf facilities in NJ and a perfect example of development and preservation blending perfectly into a beautiful mosaic for humans and wildlife. Along with his passion for fishing, George was an avid golfer and sponsored many trips in North America and Europe with his old and dear friends. Although he loved Canada, Ireland, the UK, and Portugal, etc., his favorite trip was golfing and eating his way through the Tuscan Region of Italy. George had a passion for life. His family, friends, and beloved dogs were everything to him. He loved keeping up with his 6 grandchildren and their latest sports adventures and accomplishments, academic achievements or golf and fishing adventures. To be sure, he was their biggest supporter! George was an unpretentious man who could make anyone feel at ease with his kind smile, handsome dimples and twinkling eyes. He was an every-man's man and a true gentleman for all. A hand-shake, honesty and generosity meant everything. He was involved in his communities in Westhampton, Medford and Marlton, NJ where he served on local boards and organizations. George was instrumental in organizing the first charitable golf tournaments that lasted many years to benefit Burlington Memorial Hospital, Mt. Holly, NJ, now known as Virtua, and the YMCA Camp Ockanickon, Medford, NJ. George had a warm smile and an incredibly generous heart for everyone. He made the world a better place, and we will all miss him terribly. The Van Istendal family humbly requests that in lieu of flowers, a donation be considered to YMCA Camp Ockanickon, 1303 Stokes Rd, Medford, New Jersey 08055, to aid children who are not able to afford going to camp. Click here to see a short video of how your donation dollars fund an adventure that could truly influence and help children in need. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Arrangements are being handled by Shikany's Bonita Funeral Home Family Owned and Operated Since 1978

George Matthew Van Istendal

January 24, 1933 - September 6, 2023