Frank W. Hoch, an international banker, explorer and community leader, died at his home in Irvington, N.Y., on April 13, 2007. He was 85.

Born in the United States of Swiss parents, Mr. Hoch spent a lifetime traveling internationally while inspiring business colleagues and friends to raise their sights in ways that have had a lasting impact in many fields.

Mr. Hoch spent his business career with Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., where he became a general partner in 1960. Equally comfortable on both sides of the Atlantic and multi-lingual, he was instrumental in building the bank's international presence. At a time when one still traveled by ship, and when long-distance telephone calls had to be ordered hours in advance, Mr. Hoch traveled for weeks through post-war Europe, developing business contacts which laid the foundation for the bank's international success. The bank astutely developed a program based in New York to train international bankers who went on to become leaders in their respective countries.

At the peak of his career, Mr. Hoch was close to many of the European central bankers and the heads of the most important international banks. He spearheaded the development of Middle Eastern markets in the 1970s and opened offices in Zurich, London, Beirut, Paris and Tokyo. Above all, he was known as a mentor who set high standards for everyone around him.

Mr. Hoch was sought out for his ability to bridge the transatlantic business communities. He served on numerous boards of European and American corporations, principally in the financial and pharmaceutical sectors. He was an active member of the International Chamber of Commerce, the Council on Foreign Relations, the American-Swiss Association, Inc., and the U.S. Council for International Business.

As in his business career, in the philanthropic arena Mr. Hoch was known as an agent of change, inspiring others by providing seed capital to worthy causes. He was a close friend of Polly and Julian Hill and was one of the earliest supporters of the Polly Hill Arboretum, helping to launch its evolution into a renowned center of botanical research and education. He was a member of the Arboretum's founding board of directors, and served for a time as the chairman of the board. A more recent example is his involvement in the Exodus Transitional Community in the Bronx, N.Y., an organization which assists individuals released from prison to reintegrate into a productive life in society. He and his wife, Lisina, provided much-needed support and funding to enable the program to flourish and grow.

Mr. Hoch also was an avid supporter of science and exploration. He was an honorary trustee of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, where the Hochs inspired critical private-sector funding for new programs which were subsequently leveraged with government grants. He also was a member of the Smithsonian Institution National Board and a Fellow of the Explorers Club.

A unique personal passion was a life-long friendship with the people of Bhutan. Although Bhutan now is a popular travel destination, it was virtually unheard of in the early 1950s when the Hochs were some of the earliest Westerners to visit there. Mr. Hoch became an informal advisor to the government of Bhutan and was particularly helpful in the 1970s when Bhutan applied for membership to the United Nations and the World Bank. The Hoch family friendship with the Bhutanese people remains active, and now encompasses four generations of the family.

Closer to home, Mr. Hoch was a community leader in Westchester County. He served as chairman and director of Phelps Memorial Hospital Center in Sleepy Hollow, N.Y. and as an elder of the Irvington Presbyterian Church. He and Mrs. Hoch have been long-time supporters of Scenic Hudson, the Irvington Public Library and the Tarrytown YMCA, among others. He was a member of the Sleepy Hollow Country Club, the River Club and the University Club in New York.

Mr. Hoch spent summers at a home in Chilmark on Seven Gates Farm and is a past president of the Seven Gates Farm Corporation. His concern for conservation on the Vineyard fueled his support of the Vineyard Conservation Society and the Sheriff's Meadow Foundation, in addition to the Polly Hill Arboretum. He also was a member of the Edgartown Yacht Club.

Mr. Hoch was born on May 14, 1921 in White Plains, N.Y., where he lived until the age of 12 when the family returned to their native Switzerland. He completed his studies there and received his law doctorate from the University of Zurich in 1947. An avid mountaineer, he climbed numerous peaks and enjoyed ski touring in the Swiss Alps. During World War II, he served as an officer in the Swiss Alpine Infantry.

A member of Zurich's famous Grasshopper Club, he competed in the Swiss National Rowing Championships in the mid-1940s, where his four-man boat came in second place. He remained an active member and supported the successful quest of a Swiss to win Olympic gold medal in the single scull in 1996.

After World War II, he read a book on accounting while aboard a ship headed for N.Y., where he began his career with Brown Brothers Harriman in 1947. He met Lisina von Schulthess in New York on a blind date arranged by mutual Swiss friends. After only a few encounters, he proposed and they were married in August 1951 in Mrs. Hoch's ancestral home on the Lake of Zug, Switzerland.

Survivors in addition to Mrs. Hoch include two daughters, Alix Laager of Larchmont, N.Y., and Daphne Cunningham of Evanston, Ill.; two sons, Steven of Chestnut Hill and Roland of Concord; and 11 grandchildren.

Donations in his memory may be sent to the Polly Hill Arboretum, P.O. Box 561, West Tisbury, MA 02575 or the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543.