Robert VanBuren

1925 - 2014

Robert Van Buren

AGE: 89 • Plainfield

Robert Van Buren, 89, of Palm Beach, Fl., formerly of Plainfield and North Beach died peacefully on August 20th 2014 at the Good Samaritan Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL with his children at his side.

A descendant of President Martin Van Buren, he was born in Plainfield on April 23, 1925 to Dorothy Way and William Benjamin Van Buren II. He attended Plainfield High School where he was a star athlete and captain of the football team. He was a veteran of World War II, having served in the US Army. Mr. Van Buren married Ann Vanderveer Rapalje, a descendant of Joris Jansen Rapalje, the French Huguenot, and they were married sixty years until her death in 2006.

Mr. Van Buren graduated from Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Va., with a degree in Business Administration. There, he established the Robert Van Buren Scholarship Endowment, also honoring his brother and son who are graduates. He received his MBA from the Stern School of business at New York University, and he attended the Harvard Business School 50th AMP. Mr. Van Buren started his banking career at the Chemical Bank in New York City rising to Executive Vice President. After 20 years, he moved to Midlantic Bank in New Jersey, as President, then Chairman of the Board. He led Midlantic to become New Jersey's largest bank, and prior to his retirement helped orchestrate its sale to the PNC Financial Services Group. Mr. Van Buren oversaw the financing of Atlantic City's first casino, Resorts international, and became well-known through the company's innovative advertising campaign as "The Hungry Banker".

He was appointed by Governor Thomas Kean as Commissioner of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, serving fifteen years. He also served on the Board of Directors of Champion Products, Inc., the Foster Wheeler Corp., MGM Grand Corp., Smith-Corona Corp., and was President of the Board of the Muhlenberg Hospital in Plainfield, where he and his wife established the Van Buren Intensive Care Unit.

He was an outstanding golfer, and in New Jersey was a Board Member of the Pine Valley Golf Club, a member of Baltusrol Golf Club, Plainfield Country Club, and The University Club in New York City and the Pacific Union Club in San Francisco. Mr. Van Buren retired to Palm Beach, FL where he continued his philanthropy through the Van Buren Family Foundation, supporting the Society of the Four Arts (Chairman's Forum), the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, the Palm Beach Civic Association, and the Royal Poinciana Chapel. He was a member of the Everglades Club and Club Colette.

Mr. Van Buren is survived by his children Marcia Van Buren - Brown and her husband Thomas W. Brown of New York City; Cynthia Way Rapalje Van Buren, Esq., of Palm Beach, Fl.; Robert Scott Van Buren of North Beach, N.J.; brother William Benjamin Van Buren III of Austin Texas, several nieces and nephews, and his companion Martha Janet Utterback of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

A memorial service will be held at the Crescent Avenue Presbyterian Church, 714 Watchung Ave., Plainfield on Saturday, September 6th at 3 PM. Donations may be made to The Royal Poinciana Chapel, 60 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach FL 33480 or Hospice of Palm Beach County, 5300 East Avenue West Palm Beach, FL 33407. Arrangements are by Memorial Funeral Home in Fanwood. For additional information or to sign the guestbook, visit www.fanwoodmemorial.com.