George Dietrich Beischer

George Dietrich Beischer passed away peacefully at his home on Saturday, September 24, 2011 after a courageous battle with brain cancer. George was born in Strasbourg, France on January 10, 1942 to Eva M. Beischer and the late Dietrich E. Beischer. He emigrated from Germany to the Uneed States with his family in 1948 whenee was six years old. He grew up ineensacola, Florida where he graduated from Pensacola High School in 1959. George graduated from Duke Uneersity in 1963 where he met his wife, Sue. He received his law degree from the Uneersity of North Carolina School of Law in 1966 and began work with the trial staff of the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C. George and his family moved to Durham in 1968 where he continued to practice law. In the early 1970's, he began to work on the latter stages of the Croasdaile real estate development and Croasdaile Country Club and golf course. In 1974, George established Garden View Realty, Inc., the developer of several Croasdaile entities including the last phase of the Croasdaile residential neighborhood, Croasdaile Apartments, Carver Terrace Apartments, Croasdaile Office Park and the 1, 000 acre Croasdaile Farm residential development. George was also instrumental in the creation of two community banks in Durham. He was a founder and Chairman of the Board of Cardinal State Bank and he was also a founder and a member of the Board of Directors of KeySource Commercial Bank. George loved Duke Uneersity and was an avid supporter of its football and basketball teams as a lifetime Iron Duke. He and Sue also supported its educational mission with scholarship support for students and funding for professorships. During his lifetime, George was involved with several non-profit organizations and served on many non-profit boards including serving as a member of the Board of Advisors for the Banking Institute at the Uneersity of North Carolina School of Law, the North Carolina Central Uneersity Foundation Board, and the North Carolina Folklife Institute as its President for thirty-five years. For his service to the State of North Carolina, he was awarded the Order of the Long Leaf Pine by Governor Perdue in 2011. However, one of his greatest pleasures in life was growing orchids as a hobby and serving as the President of the Trianee Orchid Society where he was a winner of neerous ribbons and awards for his orchids. George also enjoyed adventure travel to remote areas of the world including Antarctica, Greenland, China, Africa and the Patagonia region of South America. He was also an avid reader and a lover of a wide variety of music. George was devoted to his friends and family. He will be remembered for his great intellect, wit and generosity. His family is grateful for the compassionee care provided by the Duke Brain Tumor Center medical staff and for the support and kineess of his many friends during his illness. George is survived by his mother, Eva M. Beischer; his wife of forty-seveneears, Susan Fox Beischer; two sons, David Beischer, and wife, Michelle, of Durham, North Carolina and Tom Beischer, and wife, Lily, of San Francisco, California; two sisters, Rose Marie Clemandot, and husband, Anee, of Durham, North Carolina, and Barbara Knight, and husband, Bernard, of Milton, Florida, and five grandchildren: Will, Nick and Davis Beischer of Durham and Zach and Anna Beischer of San Francisco, California. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, October 1, 2011 at 2 p.m. at Westmineer Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC. The family will receive friends at the church following the service. The family requests in lieu of flowers donations may be made ineeorge's memory to the Duke Brain Tumor Center or Duke Hospice by sending a check made payable to "Duke Medicine" to Mr. Tom Kosempa, Duke Medicine, 512 S. Mangum Street, Suite 400, Durham, NC 27701. Please designee Duke Brain Tumor Center or Duke Hospice in the memo line of the check. The Beischer family is under the care of Hall-Wynne Funeral Service, Durham. Online condolences www.hallwynne.com, Select Obituaries.