Ivan Punchatz

Beloved husband, son, brother, father, uncle, grandfather, and member of Bucks County Township, Pennsylvania, Ivan J. Punchatz, Esq. passed away unexpectedly at St. Mary’s Hospital in Waterbury, Connecticut on April 1, 2024 at the age of 74. Ivan is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Rachell Punchatz, and his children, Charles (Nicole) Punchatz, Jessica (Andrew Walker) Punchatz, and Isabelle Punchatz. He is also survived by his three grandchildren, sisters, Nancy Hines and Linda Cole, in addition to nieces, nephews, and cousins. Ivan leaves behind a legacy of love, kindness, giving, determination, and warmth to his family, lifelong friends, and all who knew him.

Ivan was born February 7, 1950 in Newark, New Jersey, to Emily and Joseph Punchatz. A lifelong lover of music, Ivan was accepted to Gettysburg College for trumpet performance, before switching his studies to political science and history. While at Gettysburg, he was a member of the KDR Fraternity. Throughout the remainder of his life, Ivan was a dedicated alumnus of the College. He completed his studies at Seton Hall University Law School.

Ivan practiced healthcare law for over 40 years and served as deputy Attorney General for New Jersey from 1976 until 1989, where he represented the state Medicaid program, state psychiatric hospitals, and intermediate care facilities. For 25 years, Ivan worked at Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney, PC as an instrumental leader within their Healthcare section. He served as the head of the New Jersey Healthcare Group for Buchanan Ingersoll & Rooney and also led the Princeton office for numerous years, all while also happily taking on the role of mentor to the attorneys who worked alongside him. Through his work as Deputy Attorney General and shareholder at Buchanan, Ivan positively impacted countless individuals across the state of New Jersey and beyond. In fact, Ivan was an instrumental member of New Jersey’s task force that developed the state’s original assisted living regulations, and he represented the very first assisted living providers in New Jersey. During his career, Ivan received several professional honors, including being selected as the 2013 and 2020 Princeton Healthcare Lawyer of the Year by Best Lawyers of America.

In addition to his legal practice, Ivan was committed to giving back to his community. He steadfastly served as a long-time member of the Board of Directors for SERV Behavioral Health System (SBHS) and SERV Properties & Management, where he was a past chairperson of the boards of SBHS, SERV Centers of N.J. and SERV Properties & Management. With 35 years of dedication to these boards, the non-profit awarded him the SERVice Award in 2014 in recognition of his many contributions and to commemorate his 25th year as a Board member.

Ivan enjoyed many hobbies, including a passion for all types of music, gardening, bird watching, beach-going, and wine-tasting. He had a particular love of traveling with his wife, Shelly. An avid sports fan, Ivan was a season ticket holder to the NY Jets and was a strong supporter of the NY Rangers and NY Mets. After playing soccer as an adult and managing his own intramural soccer team, Ivan continued his interest in the sport, following the International Teams and Premier League Clubs. In his retirement, Ivan spent most of his time caring for his grandchildren, dancing to the hokey-pokey and instilling a love of jazz and classical music.

Ivan Punchatz will be remembered in a memorial service on April 27, 2024 from 11:00am - 1:00pm at the Costello-Runyon Funeral Home, 568 Middlesex Avenue (Route 27), Metuchen, NJ 08840. Repast to follow.

In lieu of flowers and in remembrance of Ivan’s legacy and love, the family asks that any charitable donations be made to SERV Behavioral Health System (SBHS) (https://www.servbhs.org/).

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