George Ernest Scharpf passed peacefully on Friday, January 4, 2019 surrounded by his loving family. He will be remembered for his generosity, leadership and interest in people.
He led by example – at the bank, in the community and at home. His accomplishments as CEO of Amboy Bank were only surpassed by his success as a father and husband. He wanted to win – but never at the expense of his deeply-held values of honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a sense of fair-play. For over 50 years at Amboy, he was available to clients in good times, and more importantly, in tough times. Clients appreciated his advice, but valued his old-school banker style even more – when you left a meeting with George, you knew where you stood, and the terms of the deal were set. Like his father, his word was his bond.
Born in St. Vincent Hospital in New York City in 1940, George was one of four children of Ernest and Theresa Scharpf. He was raised in Queens, NY, loved music and math and at one point was a Brooklyn ballroom dance champion. He attended LaSalle Academy, which he would later return to as a member of the Board of Trustees.
George graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1962 and received his MBA in 1969 from New York University.
He started his career at Price Waterhouse & Company as a Public Accountant followed by serving in the United States Army as a 1st lieutenant. While stationed in Germany in 1965, he met his wife, Patricia Murtagh. He retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserves in 1990.
George began his Amboy career in 1969 becoming a Director of Amboy Bank in 1979 and President and Chief Executive Officer in 1981. In 1995 he was elected Chairman of the Board. Over the 50 year span he led the growth of the bank from $39 million to $2.3 billion in assets. He was known as an innovator in banking with a great passion for the industry. His banking and leadership style reflected his belief in people and giving them a chance to meet their full potential. George thought his greatest success was not the company he built, but the employees and people in his community that he helped.
Outside of Amboy, George served on numerous boards including the University of Notre Dame’s Advisory Council for the Mendoza College of Business since 2004. He held leadership positions in the banking industry including Director of the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York, NJ Banking Association, and American Banking Association.
He is survived by his wife, Patricia Murtagh Scharpf, sister Margarite DiSepio (Joe), three children: Gregory (Ashley), Eric (Colleen), Elizabeth (Sarita), four grandchildren, and hundreds of people he helped through a lifetime of service as a community banker.
A private memorial is planned in the future. For condolences, please visit https://tributes.com/georgescharpf.
In lieu of flowers, donations to La Salle Academy https://lasalleacademy.org/ 215 East 6th Street, New York, NY 10003 would be appreciated.