J. Mark Vanderbeck, 62, CEO of Acts Retirement-Life Communities
At 6-feet-9, Mr. Vanderbeck commanded any room he entered. He oversaw 21 ACTS communities, from Pennsylvania and Delaware to Florida and Alabama.
J. Mark Vanderbeck, 62, of Lansdale, chief executive officer of Acts Retirement-Life Communities, died Wednesday, May 3, while on a business trip to Georgia.
Mr. Vanderbeck, who reportedly was in good health, was found unresponsive in his hotel room, his family said. An autopsy was inconclusive, and the cause of death was undetermined pending the receipt of test results, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said.
Mr. Vanderbeck's career in senior living services spanned more than 35 years, including almost two decades with the Acts organization, which is based in West Point, Montgomery County. He joined Acts in 1998 and climbed the career ladder to assume the post of chief executive officer in August 2014.
"Mark was a beloved figure and an outstanding leader at Acts who touched the lives of many residents and staff members. He will be missed dearly by the entire Acts family," board chairman John L. Esterhai Jr. said.
Born in Postville, Iowa, Mr. Vanderbeck graduated from Conestoga High School in Berwyn. He earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration and finance from Bloomsburg University in 1977, and completed postgraduate studies in health-care administration at the University of South Florida.
The son, grandson, and great-grandson of Baptist preachers, Mr. Vanderbeck broke the family mold when he declined to take the cloth.
As Mr. Vanderbeck was leaving graduate school, he told his father he did not feel called to lead a church. "There are all types of congregations. Find where you want to serve, and do it with passion and excellence," his father replied, according to an account of the conversation in the March 2017 Seniors' Housing Business, an online journal.
Mr. Vanderbeck found his calling, working for nonprofit senior facilities in Clearwater and Sarasota, Fla., and serving as an intern with an older adults' community in California. Once back in the Philadelphia area in 1972, he helped establish Open Door Estates, so named because it was adjacent to the Church of the Open Door in Fort Washington and grew out of a suggestion from the church's pastor. The first Acts community in the nation, it is now called Fort Washington Estates.
By 2014, Mr. Vanderbeck was overseeing the company's portfolio of 21 communities and 8,000 units. The facilities are concentrated in Pennsylvania and Florida, but extend to Alabama, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
He told the business journal that he had worked only for nonprofit, faith-based organizations, and felt lucky to be living his faith. "I'm sure that all goes back to growing up in the environment I did with my dad. Ultimately, my dad's last job was director of development with Christian evangelist Billy Graham. So, that faith component was always part of my life."
His colleagues remembered Mr. Vanderbeck as a man with "a big heart" who was friendly, funny, humble, and kind. "He treated everyone with compassion and respect," said a spokesman for the Acts communities.
Mr. Vanderbeck served as an ambassador for the nonprofit seniors housing industry, lecturing at events and serving on the board of LeadingAge, an industry association. He also was a board member for Family Services of Montgomery County.
At 6 feet, 9 inches, Mr. Vanderbeck commanded any room he entered, said his sister, Kathy. He played basketball at Conestoga and Division II basketball while enrolled at Bloomsburg. He told the business journal he had been a cancer survivor for 30 years starting in 1981.
He excelled at planning cruises that he shared with friends and family. "We've been all over the Caribbean, to the Panama Canal, the Mediterranean, the Baltic," his sister said. Mr. Vanderbeck also followed the NFL and made a point of flying in to see the home team play wherever she was living. He loved the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Besides his sister, he is survived by his mother, Edith "DeeDee" Vanderbeck, and nieces and nephews.
Plans for a life celebration were pending.
Memorial donations may be made to the Acts Legacy Foundation, c/o Mark Vanderbeck Memorial Scholarship Fund, 375 Morris Rd., West Point, Pa. 19486.