George S. Thorbahn; founded billboard firm

George Scott Thorbahn, 77, of Nether Providence, founder of the billboard company Interstate Shelter-All, died of lung cancer Friday.

Born in Camden, he spent his early years in Haddonfield until his family moved to Swarthmore. He attended Pennsylvania State University and joined the Air Force. He worked for the Bulletin as an advertising salesman before founding Interstate, which is now run by one of his sons and has locations in four states.

An avid golfer, smooth dancer, and strong bridge player, Mr. Thorbahn had a good sense of humor and liked to sit on the sand reading a book or to play volleyball with his children near their summer cottage at Bethany Beach, Del., said his daughter Katy Thorbahn.

"The really important thing about Dad: he was a completely self-made man," she said. "Everything he had, he built based on sheer will and hard work."

Mr. Thorbahn and his wife, Susan, married in 1959 and lived in Nether Providence, where he served on the Zoning Board from 1973 to 1994, including 15 years as chairman.

He was a longtime member of the Rolling Green Golf Club in Springfield, Delaware County, and Cripple Creek Golf Club near Bethany Beach. He was named senior champion at each club.

In 1990 he qualified for the 36th annual USGA Senior Amateur Championship at Desert Forest County Club in Carefree, Ariz.

Mr. Thorbahn and his wife were active supporters of the Scott Arboretum as well as the Philadelphia Flower Show - he was one of the "grumpy old men" who met tour buses.

In addition to his wife and daughter, he is survived by another daughter, Beth Reeves of New York City; sons Scott of Malvern and Fred of Madison, Wis.; sisters Joan Rutan of Rocklin, Calif., and Barbara Stone of Bridgehampton, N.Y.; and seven grandchildren.

He was predeceased by his brother, Robert, and a daughter, Nancy, who died in childhood.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Swarthmore Presbyterian Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions in his memory to the church, 727 Harvard Ave., Swarthmore, Pa., 19081, or to the Untours Foundation, Box 405, Media, Pa., 19063 or www.untoursfoundation.org.