It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of Calvin Cafritz (Rockville, Maryland), who passed away on January 12, 2023, at the age of 91, leaving to mourn family and friends. He was 91. Among the guests that June evening were her three sons, Calvin, Carter and Conrad. Twenty-four years later, when Gwendolyn Cafritz died, her estate consisted of two parts: the marital trust established under Morris's will, and her own property -- the landmark house on Foxhall Road and various real estate, stocks, bonds and savings accounts. "That what she wanted was pointless is not for us to judge.". He was elected to the Board of Directors of the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation in December 1988 and since February 1989 had served as Board Chairman. Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate developer Morris Cafritz, died last week at the age of 91. With him at the helm, the foundation distributed hundreds of millions of dollars in grants to a range of organizations, including the National Gallery of Art, Bread for the City and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Gradually, he branched into entertainment, operating the first open-air movies in Washington (a matter of setting up chairs in vacant lots), and then a bowling alley and pool hall in Southeast, near the Navy Yard. Yet he uncomplainingly supported all of Gwendolyn's efforts, and was said to adore his colorful bride. 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 . Their differences were, in fact, a part of their legend, for they were one of the earliest families to bring together the two cities on the Potomac: On the one hand was the ethereal world of social and political Washington -- her world, which venerated either good birth or a seat in the Senate; on the other hand was his world, the corporeal city of sewers and streets and buildings and real citizens, men and women who grew up above grocery stores the way Morris Cafritz had. All are multimillionaires, and Conrad Cafritz, by most accounts the prime instigator of the lawsuit, has spun his inheritance from his father into a vast personal fortune of at minimum $100 million. "The decanter always had to be full," Dowling says. Cafritz's passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Calvin, Carter and Conrad, all of Washington, and 13 grandchildren. In the last half-century, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has awarded more than $507 million in grants. Vidal wrote, "Irene's evening dress was much too vivid, too personal, too fashionable for the calculated dowdiness" of a dinner in old-line Washington. Its annual reports list a fairly traditional, staid set of beneficiaries, and its grants are studied by an advisory board heavily weighted toward the kind of high-profile, high-society arts philanthropy that Gwendolyn favored: Among the members are National Gallery of Art Director J. Carter Brown, retired Smithsonian secretary S. Dillon Ripley and retired librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin, as well Carolyn Deaver, wife of former White House deputy chief of staff Michael K. Deaver, and a social friend of Gwendolyn's, Mrs. Tazewell Shepard. Morris Cafritz is remembered more for the quantity than for the aesthetic quality of his works. The Morris and. The holdings in downtown Washington include buildings in the 1700 and 1800 blocks of K Street and a parking lot at 12th and K; buildings in the 1300 and 1600 blocks of L Street; property in the 1600, 1700 and 1800 blocks of I Street. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. 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. "She was a classic case," summarizes Vidal. But like all wills, the one now known in probate court as 3035-88 offers more than one legacy, and thus more than one motive. It took lawyers and IRS agents 4 years to settle the estate, which was valued in 1968 at $66 million. His most notable contribution was in the streamlined art deco apartment houses designed, either singly or together, by architects Alvin L. Aubinoe and Harry L. Edwards, including the Majestic, the Hightowers, the Empire and the since-demolished Gwenwood on 19th Street NW. Cafritz started by investing in real estate, and was always ready to make a prescient purchase, but his true passion was construction. But he's much different from his father, in a lot of ways. The singers belonged to the Domingo-Cafritz Young Artists Program (YAP), one of the opera world's most prestigious breeding grounds for the next generation of Pavarottis and Renee . 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. Washington, DC 20006. Cafritz is survived by Jane, his third wife, who is a lawyer in the area. The family observed Jewish holidays, and the sons attended religious school at Washington Hebrew Congregation on weekends. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. 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. In addition, there are at least 10 apartment buildings in D.C. Conrad, say friends, has watched in frustration as downtown Washington boomed and the foundation failed to take maximum advantage of its holdings. ON JUNE 10, 1986, GWENDOLYN D. CAFRITZ GAVE HER LAST PARTY. But Gwendolyn sometimes took pains to tell friends that she herself was not Jewish. She could no longer make an entrance, of course. The only thing worse might be to watch deals go on without him: Along with becoming chairman of the foundation, Calvin Cafritz has taken the helm of the old Cafritz Co., andis reportedly trying to bring it tonew life. Obituary. As time went on, she lost complete control, and she had to drink more. Her gown, as in the past, was spectacularly formal: folds of purple satin sweeping to her ankles beneath a fitted bodice. "He got up at 5 or 5:30, and he wanted to show me what a hard-working man he was.". Decedent lacked sufficient capacity to, and did not, dispose of her property with judgment and understanding, considering the nature, character and extent of her estate.". Home "I'm sure part of it was to show Herb Miller he was serious.". The trust was established at the death of Morris Cafritz in June 1964 in the interests of saving estate taxes. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. To slip out of the speedy traffic on Foxhall Road into the half-circle driveway was to slip back in time. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Calvin Cafritz to show support. He was 91. Even as the chaos of wartime Washington started to loosen social strictures, Washington's leading hostess, Evalyn Walsh McLean, stopped entertaining; this opening, together with a boost from Eleanor "Cissy" Patterson, publisher of the Washington Times-Herald, gave Gwendolyn her opportunity. A minor but colorful part of Cafritz's legacy was an idea borrowed from Harry Wardman, his predecessor as the leader of the field. Money -- to be sure. Click here for full story from WTOP and the Washington Business Journal. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. Waiters passed shrimp with cocktail sauce, while full bars offered prehistoric spirits such as bourbon and gin, defiant holdouts in the age of chardonnay and bottled water. Ways to honor Calvin Cafritz's life and legacy. Cafritz died in 1964 of a heart attack. He resigned seven years later to form Cafritz Enterprises. ", Today, he still combats a version of that assumption, pithily summed up by one detractor in this way: "You don't have to be Albert Einstein to take money and make additional money in real estate." But public records show that, like any organization privately controlled by a very small number of people, it is very susceptible to change by a determined leader. a medically-induced . He warmly greeted staff and fellow philanthropist alike, making no distinction between people. 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. 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. 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. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. "The boys used to make a joke of their mother. She was forever trying to tell me some long story I could never make head or tail of. Calvin, 58, who finds himself a defendant in this lawsuit, is usually described as gentlemanly, methodical and reserved. All rights reserved. Her hair was still a lacquered black, heavily dressed as always at the back of her head. There he built the massive River House apartments; his estate eventually sold most of the land for others to develop. Influence over the city's future -- no doubt. In 1971, Mr. Cafritz resigned to form Calvin Cafritz Enterprises, with investments in aviation, communications, and Washington area real estate. ", Other documents filed in court indicate that the sons will argue their mother was incapacitated by alcoholism. Mr. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. He's truly out to make a big impact on the city, I think. Add a photo or a video Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. She appears every week on the WETA-TV arts show "Around Town." In the process, he amassed one of the first great fortunes to be carved out of Washington itself. 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. You have funeral questions, we have answers. This time, the receiving line snaked across the long, low living room to the far wall, where the hostess was displayed in a yellow silk armchair. She carried her isolation to her grave. I hope they will. "He's creative, he's smart, also ambitious, like his father. 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. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Calvin Cafritz please visit our,

An obituary is not available at this time for Calvin Cafritz. He was 91. He has always been involved in the bread and butter real estate of housing, from building single-family homes in Prince William County to renovating apartment complexes in Alexandria; he was a major beneficiary of the Washington condo boom. Peggy Cooper Cafritz, a doyenne of Washington arts and education, who tried to mend many of the city's social and racial wounds, created one of the nation's leading arts-intensive high schools,. "There were moments when you wanted to go around and have everybody wear not just a name tag, but a bio,"says their good friend Margaret Lenzner. In Remembrance. Of the three sons, Calvin seems to have had the best relationship with his mother. . Marvin LaVerne Katz, 83, of Dallas, Texas, passed away on November 22, 2019 in Dallas. Would you like to offer Calvin Cafritzs loved ones a condolence message? Cafritz was a tireless promoter of the city. Mr. Cafritz is also survived by his brother Conrad Cafritz. By 1915 he was known locally as "The Bowling King" but still restlessly sought an opportunity that would truly engage him. 5.8K. It is, as always, unclear where her inborn quirkiness shaded into the effects of alcoholism; but many of her friends, in later years, simply came to think of her as "difficult" or "eccentric"; Almost everyone has a story about her forgetting their names, or making some sudden comment of shocking rudeness. 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW After college and military service, he rejoined the firm in 1956 and served in various positions, until the death of his father in 1964 when he became President of Cafritz Company, Cafritz Construction Company, and Ambassador, Inc. During his tenure, the companies developed, constructed, and leased a number of additional office buildings in Washington's central business district. Cafritzs passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. The Meyer Foundation is sad to learn of the passing of Calvin Cafritz, a Washington-area developer and one of the region's leading philanthropists. It is not clear how old he was when he fell for a 19-year-old Hungarian-American beauty named Gwendolyn Detre de Surany; perhaps because she was so much younger than he, Cafritz appears to have habitually understated his age by six or eight years. He was 91 years of. And in the two decades of her advocacy, she has established a high profile -- and raised a lot of hackles among the old guard that runs most of the city's major cultural institutions. Required fields are marked *. From the others he solicited their names, bending to murmur prompts into the ear of the star. Calvin Cafritz Obituary The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has Died January 17, 2023 Calvin Cafritz Death, Obituary - Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz, died Thursday at Sibley Memorial Hospital. One possible reason for that -- and for any bitterness that might motivate the lawsuit -- is suggested by the suit's underlying argument: "For many years, beginning at a time not precisely known to plaintiffs, but at least by the time of the death of the late Morris Cafritz, the Decedent began suffering from a number of conditions that resulted in physical and mental debilitation," reads the complaint. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. Cafritz exemplified what it means to be an inspirational leader and a great human being, said Pyatybratova. They have helped us to be innovative and to expand. Papers filed in court by his sons' lawyers say he was born in 1888; his gravestone says 1890, which would have made him only 14 when he started his business career. Perhaps as a result, he works hard, with much of Morris's old drive. She was born January 30, 1936 in Kennett, MO to the late David Richard Roberts and Betty Burbank Roberts. 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. Jane Lipton Cafritz was elected in the second half of 2022 to succeed her husband as the foundations president and CEO. The suit was filed by the middle and youngest Cafritz sons, Carter, 53, and Conrad, 51. "For over 30 years the Cafritz Foundation has supported The Textile Museum, especially as a prominent proponent of the museums move to the George Washington University,"said John Wetenhall, director of the George Washington University Museum and The Textile Museum. To those who thronged to the parties, the children were rarely in evidence. Special Neighborhood Hang Out: Say Cheese! "He took me into the kitchen and showed me how the cook would leave coffee for him in the morning," remembers the friend. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? She was multilingual and had studied art history at the University of Budapest. There is no photo or video of Calvin Cafritz.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. The same plain white damask draped the table, with plain white damask napkins tied around settings of her heavy Georg Jensen flatware. Published by The Washington Post on Jan. 22, 2023. For another, he is said to alternate in seconds between a manic intensity and a mumbling diffidence. Michael J. Dowling, who became the Cafritzes' butler in the early '60s, describes a tragically common decline. Recommend Calvin's obituary to your friends. He was 91. In 1971, he resigned from the company amid reports of conflict with his mother, and by the time she wrote a 1977 will, all three sons, including Calvin, had been dealt out of any inheritance. In particular, he has carried on an epic feud with Herbert S. Miller, chairman of Western Development Corp. Western won a city contract in 1985 to develop the so-called Portals site at the foot of the 14th Street Bridge, potentially the largest commercial development in the city. The India-born founder and CEO of District-based software company Hunch Analytics is an active benefactor of both Washington and Indian causes and nonprofit groups. [2] He is buried in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Philanthropy [ edit] She was 78 years old. The house on Foxhall Road, completed in 1938, was explicitly designed to fulfill that ambition. . Most of the band's song titles are too profane for citation in mainstream reviews (or newspaper magazines such as this); one, a song that would surely have outraged the vocalist/guitarist's grandparents, is titled "You Look Like a Jew.". With such a ruling, the trust would pass to the three sons, as outlined in Morris's will. 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. Says a friend, "He thinks they're a lot of fuddy-duddies living in the 17th century." The strange paradox of her marriage was that Morris's money enabled her to carry out her lavish social dreams, while the family's being Jewish also placed limits on her chances of realizing them. ", Conrad and Carter Cafritz have chosen instead the purgatory of probate court, where their complaints suggest less lovely memories. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. Your email address will not be published. He served in these roles until 2022, when Jane Lipton Cafritz, his wife, was elected Board Chair and President and CEO. Mr. Cafritz said that the awards are designed to "shine a light on the contributions of extraordinary government employees. Atlas too declined to comment, but he issued a statement when the suit was filed saying that he had no role in drafting the will, and no advance knowledge of its contents. They're more like the French salons.". He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Jane Lipton Cafritz, a distinguished Washington lawyer, whom he married on June 1, 2000. The Washington Harbour purchase, along with a current joint venture to develop a riverfront office and hotel project in Rosslyn, has caused speculation that Conrad Cafritz is increasingly eager to be identified with high-quality, high-profile projects that might bring him more notice. Small grants went to 15 more Jewish charities, and the rest to such local charities as boys clubs and hospital funds. Real estate was more than mortgages and refi nancing in the Cafritzian heyday; it was empire building . The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, the charitable organization Calvin Cafritz had led since 1989, confirmed his passing and provided a copy of his obituary, which didnt disclose cause of death. "Getting along with her," says one developer who knows the family, "was something none of them ever mastered. "That black sense of humor asserts itself, or he'll do something outrageous." His father, Morris, established one of the Washington region's leading philanthropic entities, the Morris and . Because Gwendolyn's estate has not been probated, its value is hard to establish. One quarter to his widow, in a "marital trust" that would pay her interest until her death and give her the power to "appoint" the ultimate heirs to the principal; if she did not exercise this power, the principal would pass to the Cafritzes' sons upon her death. To one interviewer she said that art was "the theme, you might say" of her life, "as in a Wagnerian opera." When Morris Cafritz died in 1964, his estate was worth $66 million, mostly in the form of stock in dozens of closely held corporations he had established to manage his real estate. 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. "Right at the moment he could be most charming, he does something to undercut it," says one friend. His father, one of Washington's leading commercial and residential builders from the early 1920's to the 1960's, distinguished himself as an outstanding civic leader known for generosity. But he believes her drinking was a source of family discord. That's what we call a success story. Calvins brother Carter passed away in 2019. But Carter and Conrad Cafritz are not named in their mother's will. Yet Morris made little impression on Gwendolyn's social world, and she often went out or took vacations alone. 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. Conrad is angrily aware, say friends, that his success will always be explained away. Calvin Cafritz began his career with Cafritz Construction in 1947, pausing briefly to attend college and serve in the military. And it is over the foundation, established to memorialize the name and works of the Cafritz family, that the Cafritz family is now at war. They keep china and glassware sufficient to serve hundreds. "With so-called friends all around her, she was a very lonely woman," says Dowling. There are no events at this time. 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. Your email address will not be published. Conrad has six children -- three adopted sons, who were Jennifer's by a first marriage; two daughters with Jennifer; and, with Peggy, 5-year-old Zachary. Another longtime beneficiary of Cafritz Foundation support has been The Textile Museum. The control of so much money, especially in a city with limited corporate philanthropy, brings enormous power. "I think he went along," says a longtime business associate, Irwin Altman. Her statements in the press, even the adoring press of yore, suggest at the least a daunting mother. It is easy to imagine that for a son of Morris Cafritz, watching great deals go unmade is a kind of hell. He is a leading supporter of the Global India Fund, and the Ukapav Indian-American Scholarship Foundation. Marvin Katz was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Dr. Donald LaVerne Katz and Lila Maxine Katz on December 12, 1935. Gwendolyn Cafritz, a leading Washington hostess, died of cancer Tuesday at her home in the capital.
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