calvin cafritz obituary calvin cafritz obituary

He's truly out to make a big impact on the city, I think. CALVIN CAFRITZ, CARTER CAFRITZ, CONRAD CAFRITZ WILLIAM CAFRITZ AND BUFFY CAFRITZ The Cafritz name has been a Washington fi xture for almost a century, with Morris and Gwen Cafritz's 1937 Foxhall Road mansion an epicenter of D.C. social life. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. Mr. Cafritz recognized and championed this work, and its success is a part of his inspiring legacy., Throughout the years, he gave feedback constructively and in a helpful manner, said Jim Robinson, executive director of GW CEPL. Gwendolyn left the $14 million landmark to the foundation, with the very Gwendolyn-like wish that it become "a center in which scholars, statesmen and civic leaders may conduct research, conferences, seminars and other func-tions relating to issues of interest tomankind.". But he believes her drinking was a source of family discord. There is a poignant moment in Gwendolyn's 1956 interview with Murrow when she points out a portrait of herself that hangs on the wall. An old friend remembers a Fourth of July party at which one or more of the boys stood in a window above the path that led indoors from the pool to the cocktail area, throwing firecrackers down onto the guests. Carter appears something of a cipher even to old family associates. Cafritz's passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Mild, self-effacing, decorous, humble, and unfailingly courteous, Mr. Cafritz led by example and always with a smile. The foundation, which Calvin led for over 30 years (after his mother Gwendolyn died in 1988), focuses on programs in the arts and humanities. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Calvin Cafritz to show support. Rogers had served as her personal attorney since her husband, Washington real estate magnate Morris Cafritz, died in 1964. In the '50s, Cafritz had an early conviction that the future direction of downtown Washington was along the K Street corridor, and before his death in 1964 he built a dozen buildings in the "new" downtown, mostly on K and I streets NW. "He's part of a legendary family, and he's the only one who seems interested in keeping up the legend," says one friend. Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a33c63ad631098ddb002d9da023fc09f" );document.getElementById("gab125c3ec").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Calvin Cafritz Washington developer and one of the region's leading philanthropists, died Thursday morning, January 12, 2023, at Sibley Memorial Hospital, in Washington, DC. Finally, there is an emotional legacy to be earned -- or perhaps shed. There are, superficially, great similarities among the three brothers, who all share their mother's dark coloring. Cafritzs grace, elegance, discernment, desire for excellence and commitment to making the most of every day and every situation will continue to inspire and motivate all who knew and loved him, his obituary reads. Two and a half years later Gwendolyn Cafritz was dead of cancer, at 78, and the following summer -- three years after that final party -- her two younger sons filed suit in D.C. Superior Court to. "She was good to me, and she was a good woman in my eyes," he says. In relation to real estate, Calvin Cafritz dove deep into area projects over the years like the Riverdale Park Station in Prince Georges County as well as developments at 5333 Connecticut Ave. NW and 1725 I St. NW. Calvin Cafritz and the Cafritz Foundation have been part of the GW Honey Nashman Center from its earliest roots in the Office of Community Service and the Neighbors Project in the 1990s through to the present, said Amy Cohen, executive director of the center. Your email address will not be published. At the same time, he and Tompkins had the foresight to buy the land now known as Pentagon City. Today, Calvin is foundation chairman. Following the death of his father, Calvin became president of The Cafritz Co., Cafritz Construction Co. and Ambassador, Inc. in 1964. January 16, 2023, 1:16 AM D.C. developer, businessman and philanthropist Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate icon Morris Cafritz and his wife Gwendolyn, died Thursday at Sibley Memorial Hospital. A unique and lasting tribute for a loved one. All rights reserved. The Cafritz Foundation is also responsible for developing Art Place at Fort Totten, a huge mixed-use project in the Northeast D.C. area. But almost no one noticed what seemed apparent to Gore Vidal, in brief glimpses of her during the '60s: "Toward the end {of the decade}, she was always drunk whenever I saw her. The most famous of these was the Cafritz Building, at 1625 I; ballyhooed in 1950 as the first "park-at-your-desk" building, it had ramps rising 10 stories at the building's core. At the heart of the lawsuit is a quest to gain at least partial control over the whole empire of which Gwendolyn's estate is an integral piece, over the whole legacy that Morris Cafritz created. Small grants went to 15 more Jewish charities, and the rest to such local charities as boys clubs and hospital funds. There is still a sign directing deliveries to the back of the house, as if tradesmen were still streaming up to the front door to importune the lady of the house, and Ridgewell's were due at any moment with more shrimp and cocktail sauce. Late last year, Calvins wife Jane was elected to succeed her husband as the foundations president and CEO and he was named chairman emeritus. In 2001, the Cafritz Foundation gave $1 million toward the Cafritz Conference Center in the University Student Center. These two, according to the complaint by Carter and Conrad Cafritz, "exerted undue influence" in Gwendolyn's decision to leave her entire estate to the foundation, of which they are both trustees. Aubinoe and Edwards also designed the Cafritzes' dramatic house on Foxhall Road. James Edward Cafritz <p>James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. Between 1925 and 1941, Cafritz built more than 85 apartment houses, including 15 large luxury buildings, such as the Majestic and the Hightowers on 16th Street NW and the Westchester on Cathedral Avenue NW. Since 1989, Cafritz led the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, a charitable organization named for his parents. "He's always very, very protective of the Cafritz name, as if it were his own. Calvin, Carter and Conrad, all of Washington, and 13 grandchildren. The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is already, with its more than $220 million in assets, the largest source of private funds earmarked for the District of Columbia. In 1962, when it was the product of Morris Cafritz's vision, the largest grants went to the United Jewish Appeal and the Community Chest Federation. She left $25,000 to a favorite former escort, a Brazilian former employee of the Inter-American Development Bank who now lives in Rio de Janeiro. Her two younger sons have also filed a separate petition that pursues only the marital trust. Several friends read this changeability as part of a larger ambivalence about whether he wants to be an insider or a maverick, heir to a famous tradition or the rebel who subverts it. In addition to his loving family, he leaves behind a long-time member of the family household, Lilian Punzalan, and countless admiring friends. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Certainly it is Conrad who seems to embody, in one slight frame, the polarities of his parents' lives and personalities. Asked in 1954 why all her sons bore two-syllable names beginning with "C," she replied, "Morris names all children, horses, dogs, apartment houses and everything around here. There are hints too that he has social ambitions on Gwendolyn's scale, if not exactly of her type. And he still fights his battles with a surprising intensity, rarely bothering with the shake-hands-and-forget-it bonhomie common in Washington business. It charges that Rogers and Atlas "exerted undue influence" on her decision to leave all her money to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, and that Gwendolyn herself "lacked testamentary capacity," meaning that she was incapable of writing her will. The holdings also include a major share of the two Universal buildings at Connecticut and Florida avenues NW, and shares of the massive River House apartment buildings in Pentagon City. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Calvin Cafritz to show support. Under the terms of an old agreement, each of the sons will automatically receive $7 million, tax-free, in recompense for having forfeited, in the late '60s, some money from a different trust. For him, philanthropy required partnerships that are broad, diverse, and extensive. 91. They're more like the French salons.". . With that philosophy he built a substantial reputation for philanthropy. In Washington, D.C., when Irene Bloch's husband dies, a character says, "We should build him a monument, and dedicate it to the Unknown Husband. So he began buying real estate speculatively, and in 1920 opened a real estate office on 15th Street NW. The foundation, among Greater Washingtons largest with more than $400 million in assets and some $65 million in annual revenue and expenses, according to its most recent Form 990, is expected to issue a formal statement in the coming days. He was 91 at the time he died. In plain English, Gwendolyn Cafritz's two younger sons are contending in court that their mother was too feebleminded to write her will; document requests filed in court suggest they may try to prove she was incapacitated by alcoholism. "Jews in general just didn't figure. If she gave them an order, they took it lightly, because she liked to drink. She was 78 years old. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. In July 1993, he was elected President and CEO of the Foundation and in the last six months became Chairman Emeritus. Calvin Cafritz Death - Calvin Cafritz, a real estate developer, businessman, and philanthropist in the District of Columbia, passed away on Thursday, January 12, 2023, at Sibley Memorial Hospital. "Right at the moment he could be most charming, he does something to undercut it," says one friend. ", Gwendolyn reportedly raised her children according to the dictates of her European background -- under the aegis of servants, to be seen and not heard. It is intriguing to imagine what different directions Conrad Cafritz might urge -- and how much they would draw from the activism of his wife, who has likely pondered what difference the Cafritz endowment might make to her lifelong campaign to wrest the arts from Washington's white upper classes. To Martin Atlas, she left $50,000 and a Chagall painting. What do the younger sons of the celebrated Washington hostess hope to gain by waging legal war over their mother's will? Obituary. "That what she wanted was pointless is not for us to judge.". For another, he is said to alternate in seconds between a manic intensity and a mumbling diffidence. Another asks the bank to produce "all documents relating to purchase or provision of wine, champagne, or liquor on behalf of or for Gwendolyn Cafritz or for delivery to or consumption at 2301 Foxhall Road. Morris was a famously frugal man who used to tell friends he couldn't afford to rent office space in the best of his buildings, and his major vanity, beyond lying about his age, appears to have been combing his pomaded hair over a bald spot at the back. With support from the Cafritz Foundation, the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership hosts a yearly awards gala to honor D.C. government employees who demonstrate outstanding public service. The control of so much money, especially in a city with limited corporate philanthropy, brings enormous power. CAFRITZ James Edward Cafritz James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. Was believed to be 102. Gradually, as Gwendolyn took command of it, its character changed. He and his wife, Jane, and the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation have made major contributions to the city of Washington, DC and the region. "I know Atlas hates publicity like poison," says Raymond Carter, a former Cafritz Co. vice president. Only between the lines or in conversations with old friends can one make out how nakedly she wore her ambitions, and how hard she was working to measure up. Of the three sons, Calvin seems to have had the best relationship with his mother. Mr. There were of course the grand exceptions like the Warburgs, and Walter Lippmann, and Arthur Krock . By 1915 he was known locally as "The Bowling King" but still restlessly sought an opportunity that would truly engage him. D.C. developer, businessman and philanthropist Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate icon Morris Cafritz and his wife Gwendolyn, died Thursday at Sibley Memorial Hospital. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. March 29, 1931 - Receive obituaries from the city or cities of your choice. So if some of these nostalgic callers had once doubted or mocked her, with her grand house and her grand airs and her husband's enormous fortune, it was surely too late, in 1986, for any of these social acquaintances to want to shatter this fading legend. For one thing, he has a dark, avowedly cynical sense of humor. Cafritz exemplified what it means to be an inspirational leader and a great human being, said Pyatybratova. "She was a classic case," summarizes Vidal. All of their lives, the Cafritz boys have been aware of their status as the sons of Morris and Gwendolyn. Cafritz developed real estate here for more than four decades, until his death in 1964, and by the sheer volume and variety of his building activities was for a time the undisputed king of his field. Conrad's strategy has been diversity. Their complaint challenges her wish to leave all she owned, except for minor bequests, to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, a charitable trust her husband had established 40 years before. . They keep china and glassware sufficient to serve hundreds. If you know of an upcoming event for Calvin Cafritz, please add one. One interrogatory demands that Riggs National Bank, which was Gwendolyn's bank, "identify all individuals or facilities that, from 1954 until Gwendolyn Cafritz' death, provided to Gwendolyn Cafritz any care, advice, counseling, or treatment relating to her consumption of alcohol . Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. Cafritz Calvin Cafritz Washington developer and one of the region's leading philanthropists, died Thursday morning, January 12, 2023, at Sibley Memorial Hospital, in Washington, DC. Today he shares office space and support staff with Conrad's growing interests, but for the most part pursues his own deals. It is hard not to wonder what the effect might have been of hearing Gwendolyn Cafritz's will read for the first time. It was an invitation to stroll around the house and remember: When Gwen Cafritz, with her 19-inch waist and Balmain gowns, her raven hair and regal air, had won constant publicity for her parties -- 22 to dinner, with toasts over champagne, and enormous receptions like this one each spring and fall. She also made bequests of $100,000 each to 10 of her 13 grandchildren -- excluding the children Conrad adopted, to whom he has remained a committed father. Calvin's younger brothers, Conrad and Carter, are behind-the- scenes players in many business and charitable ventures players. He was 91. "The decanter always had to be full," Dowling says. Cafritz is survived by his third wife, Jane Lipton Cafritz, a Washington lawyer whom he married in 2000; his three children; three stepchildren (including Olivia Rubenstein, who earned a masters degree from GSEHD in 2018); and numerous grandchildren and step-grandchildren, as well as his brother, Conrad Cafritz, chairman and CEO of Cafritz Interests. Morris Cafritz is remembered more for the quantity than for the aesthetic quality of his works. In the past two decades Washington has been one of the hottest real estate markets in the country, building new fortunes, multiplying old ones, constantly attracting new players from other cities. Yet Morris made little impression on Gwendolyn's social world, and she often went out or took vacations alone. It is also different from proving that a respected lawyer and former Cabinet member, in league with a longtime family associate, unfairly loaded the dice. If you experience a barrier that affects your ability to access content on this page, let us know via the. He had emigrated from Russia as a boy with his family, which stopped briefly in New York before settling down to run a grocery store at 24th and P streets NW. To Edward R. Murrow, in a 1956 interview, she said that to speak of Washington cocktail parties was "unfair to Washington. Rachel M. Ratowsky, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, February 2, 2021. Chances are, many Washingtonians might not even realize how much real estate the Cafritz family is responsible for in the area. Old press notices, written in the uncritical fashion of the day, recount her summers in Monte Carlo; her typical day in Washington (beginning with a ride in her limousine -- license number 2301, to match her address -- to the Supreme Court or the Capitol, to take in a decision or an interesting hearing); her winter trips to Palm Beach; her shopping trips in Paris; her ladies lunches at the Mayflower Hotel. . including, but not limited to, any facilities located in Washington, D.C.; Palm Beach, Florida; or Monte Carlo, Monaco." "I've just bought 100 acres of downtown Washington," he was fond of saying. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. ON JUNE 10, 1986, GWENDOLYN D. CAFRITZ GAVE HER LAST PARTY. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. Ways to honor Calvin Cafritz's life and legacy. All three sons were rumored to have difficult relationships with their mother, and it was rare to find them together, bearing in unison the family standard. Cafritzs passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. He served in these roles until 2022, when Jane Lipton Cafritz, his wife, was elected Board Chair and President and CEO. "That black sense of humor asserts itself, or he'll do something outrageous." Gwen Cafritz and her chief rival, Perle Mesta, were in fact the first of a new breed -- celebrity hostesses who openly courted the press and saw no shame in self-promotion. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. sales@governmentexecutiveconsultingservices.com, Copyright 2022 Government Executive Consulting Services. "I think it has the clean linear design of a Botticelli, and the elegance of an English portrait," she burbles, in her faintly accented great-lady voice, "and that's the way I would like my children to remember me. Mr. Cafritz was married previously two times; his first wife was Enid Cafritz and his second wife was Joyce Smith. He began with houses, ultimately building about 10,000 homes in the Washington area. Calvin Cafritz Rockville, Maryland March 29, 1931 - January 12, 2023 Share Obituary: Tribute Wall Obituary & Events Share a memory Send Flowers Share a memory of Calvin Cafritz. A document filed in probate court says an initial inventory of her own property exceeded $90 million; however, inventories filed with her will account only for a little more than $80 million. In his later years he established one of the Washington region's leading philanthropic entities, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Through a number of different companies, he both invests in and develops all kinds of properties -- commercial, residential, retail and even industrial. Conrad's strange, and doesn't mind people thinking that he's strange; he kind of encourages it.". He was preceded in death by his brother Carter Cafritz. ", She gave only two parties in the last 15 years of her life -- one in 1978, her first in five years, and the final party in 1986. The longtime GW supporter had a unique relationship with the university and the city of Washington, D.C. Center for Excellence in Public Leadership, Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service, GW is committed to digital accessibility. "Getting along with her," says one developer who knows the family, "was something none of them ever mastered. Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate developer Morris Cafritz, died last week at the age of 91. And by 1970, arts and humanities took the largest share of the funding. If you could walk around to the back, you might look out at the famous view; and you might almost see as far as Southeast D.C., where Morris lies with his in-laws, still waiting. Perhaps as a result, he works hard, with much of Morris's old drive. She has pressured the Smithsonian to increase the number of minorities in high-ranking positions and has been arrested outside the South African Embassy as a leader of Mother's Day protests there. 2017-2023 Tribute Archive. Thanks to the support of the Cafritz Foundation for the last 25 years, CEPL has supported organizational transformation across the public sector in the city. To one interviewer she said that art was "the theme, you might say" of her life, "as in a Wagnerian opera." The Cafritz Foundation was one of the biggest in the D.C. area, with over $400 million in assets and around $65 million in annual revenue and expenses, according to The Washington Business Journal.