Franklin Lakes – Mr. Henry J. Shotmeyer, Sr. went home to be with his Lord Thursday, February 10, 2005.
Born in Amsterdam, Holland on May 22, 1904. Henry spent his early childhood years growing up around the tulip fields and canals of pre-war Holland. In 1925, his parents journeyed their family across the Atlantic to arrive in Hoboken in search of their American Dream. Soon after their arrival, Henry and his brother Bert began cultivating their dreams into reality through long days of hard work and determination. The pair began working at a small service station, shortly thereafter they bought that service station and then many more to build a gasoline empire stretching from Maine to Maryland. In 1994, their company, Shotmeyer Bros., was honored by Mobil Oil as the oldest and largest distributor in the United States. He was an astute businessman who loved his employees as family and was often heard saying that his greatest wealth was his family, friends and employees.
Mr. Shotmeyer had a gentle philanthropic heart and leaves behind a legacy of love, friendship and generosity. While he was a tireless businessman, he always made time to help others in so many ways. Henry was a long time friend of the Christian Health Care Center in Wyckoff where he served as Chairman Emirates of its foundation. He was also a life-long advocate for the Boy Scouts of America. Growing up in Holland, he was a member of the Pathfinders, which later became known as the Boy Scouts. Henry knew first hand that the timeless values embodied in the programming of the Boy Scouts of America was important to the development of the youth in our community. Other service includes Chairman of the Lehigh University Grandparents Association and benefactor to Valley Hospital, Hackensack University Medical Center, the Skin Cancer Foundation and the Cancer Research & Treatment Fund, Inc. In 2000, he was honored by Stevens Institute of Technology with the Charles Schaefer Entrepreneur Award. Henry was also a member of Silenta Lodge No. 168.
Preceded in death by his beloved wife Charlotte, and loving son Henry Jr., Henry is survived by his brother Albert, son Charles, daughters-in-law Sandy and Marsha, grandchildren Deborah, Charles, Christopher, Hayley, Heidi, Rebecca, Henry, Timothy, and Amy, and great-grandchildren, Victoria, Jordan, Jacob, Austin, Jenna, Cassidy, Alexandra Ruth, Nathaniel, Cara, Alex, Nikitas and Elizabeth.
Funeral arrangements by VanderPlaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave. Wyckoff, NJ 07481 201-891-3400. Friends will be received Sunday, February 13th 2005 between 2pm-4pm, and 7pm-9pm. The Funeral will be held at Wyckoff Reformed Church on Monday at 10:30 AM.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to The Christian Health Care Foundation, 301 Sicomac Avenue, Wyckoff, NJ 07481 or The Northern New Jersey Council Boy Scouts of America, 25 Ramapo Valley Road, PO Box 670 Oakland, NJ 07436.