J. Van der Zee; Mortgage Loan Expert
John R. Van der Zee, Southern California banking executive for 35 years and former president of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce, has died. He was 75.
Van der Zee died Sunday at his home in Rolling Hills, his son, James, said Tuesday.
The mortgage loan expert was named 1971 Man of the Year by the City of Hope for his charitable work for that medical center, which specializes in treating cancer.
Educated at Loyola University and the Rutgers University Graduate School of Banking, Van der Zee began his banking career with United California Bank in 1945 and retired from its successor, First Interstate Bank, in 1980. He left the bank briefly in 1959 to serve as president of Western Mortgage Corp., at that time the largest mortgage banking firm in the United States.
In 1972, Van der Zee became executive vice president at California Bank in charge of its statewide mortgage lending and its 361 statewide branches with about 8,000 employees.
Van der Zee also served as president of the International Student Center at UCLA.
In addition to his son, James, of Torrance, Van der Zee is survived by two other sons, John, of Glendale, and Peter, of Rolling Hills Estates; a daughter, Virginia, of Rolling Hills Estates, and five sisters. His wife, Pat, preceded him in death.
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