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Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. Calvin's younger brothers, Conrad and Carter, are behind-the- scenes players in many business and charitable ventures players. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Calvin Cafritz to show support. At the least, then, Gwendolyn's will disposes of more than $140 million. When she drafted her third and last will in 1981, she wrote a final clause that reads almost like an afterthought, but resounds in the lawsuit now underway: "It is my wish that our descendents {sic} shall maintain an interest in the affairs of THE MORRIS AND GWENDOLYN CAFRITZ FOUNDATION and its philanthropic purposes and I desire that, following my death, CALVIN CAFRITZ be elected to serve on the board of the Foundation.". "He's creative, he's smart, also ambitious, like his father. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. In 2021 alone some 430 grants were given to 413 nonprofits of all sizes, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington National Opera (through the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera program), the Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art, and countless colleges, universities,and schools throughout the DC area. He is also survived by his three children, Elliot Cafritz (Lauren), Anthony Cafritz (Pearl), and Elizabeth Peltekian(Viken); five grandchildren, Sam, Alexander, Seb, Aram, and Van; three stepchildren, Olivia Rubenstein, Irina Rubenstein, and James Speyer; and two step-grandchildren Evan and MJSpeyer. 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. He's truly out to make a big impact on the city, I think. But Carter and Conrad Cafritz are not named in their mother's will. Carter appears something of a cipher even to old family associates. 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. In any case, he was at least 20 years older than his bride when they married in 1929. Copyright 2023 Echovita Inc. All rights reserved. But of the property over which she had control, Gwendolyn left her children only "such photographs, family mementos, and similar objects of domestic use or ornamentation as my executors, in their absolute discretion, shall determine that I would wish to have preserved for my children.". Certainly it is Conrad who seems to embody, in one slight frame, the polarities of his parents' lives and personalities. 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. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. "Jews in general just didn't figure. By 1967, records show a sprinkling of grants to highbrow cultural causes: the Committee to Rescue Italian Art, the Opera Society of Washington, the Corcoran Gallery. Washington, DC 20007 It is a secretive organization: The foundation would answer no questions for this article. A minor but colorful part of Cafritz's legacy was an idea borrowed from Harry Wardman, his predecessor as the leader of the field. But maybe they just don't want Gwen Cafritz to have the last word. Says a friend, "He thinks they're a lot of fuddy-duddies living in the 17th century." Here, beyond the threshold, was the stunning circular entrance hall, dramatic enough to live up to the woman who once swept down the stairs to greet her guests. Mr. Cafritz began his career with Cafritz Construction Company in 1947. Rogers had served as her personal attorney since her husband, Washington real estate magnate Morris Cafritz, died in 1964. Marvin LaVerne Katz, 83, of Dallas, Texas, passed away on November 22, 2019 in Dallas. Mr. Cafritz said that the awards are designed to "shine a light on the contributions of extraordinary government employees. They had a large fund-raiser for Jesse Jackson in 1988, and for Conrad's 50th birthday, Peggy gave him an enormous black-tie dinner at home. 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. 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. 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. Betty Lou Roberts Colvin, age 84 of Warren, AR passed away November 5, 2020 at Chapel Woods Nursing Home in Warren, AR. 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. Kateryna Pyatybratova directs the centers Cafritz Awards program. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. 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. 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. Roger was born on September 30, 1952 in Toulon, the son. 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.". It is easy to imagine that for a son of Morris Cafritz, watching great deals go unmade is a kind of hell. Implicitly, Carter and Conrad Cafritz are also challenging her designation of Calvin, the eldest, as the only son who will have a future role in running the foundation, which already controls assets of more than $220 million. But the fourth square in the plot remains empty; Gwendolyn Cafritz was memorialized in a Presbyterian church and had herself buried far north in Rockville's Parklawn Cemetery, among strangers. Then, in 1988, came the announcement that Conrad Cafritz, with Japanese partners, had bought Washington Harbour, the glitzy development below K Street in Georgetown that had been troubled from its opening; the original developer of Washington Harbour was Western. "Lots of times she could drink and she knew exactly what she was doing. Following the death of his father, Calvin became president of The Cafritz Co., Cafritz Construction Co. and Ambassador, Inc. in 1964. In the '70s she became a near-recluse. While he was head of the foundation, Cafritz distributed grants to places like The National Gallery of Art, Washington National Opera and The Kennedy Center. As the hostess had asked, Ridgewell's Caterers heaped the silver platters and chafing dishes with the same filling, fusty food -- the whole poached salmon, the ham and turkey and carved tenderloin; none of the pastas or blackened seafood or grilled vegetables then in fashion. They have helped us to be innovative and to expand. To Calvin Cafritz, she left the symbolic role of family chief, Morris Cafritz'ssuccessor in a world of primogeniture. 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. Mr. Cafritz is also survived by his brother Conrad Cafritz. Your email address will not be published. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. CALVIN FRITZ OBITUARY Wyoming - Calvin "Roger" Fritz, 69, of Wyoming, passed away at 5:29 p.m. Friday, December 24, 2021 at his home. 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. He was 91. The family observed Jewish holidays, and the sons attended religious school at Washington Hebrew Congregation on weekends. The house was not so much well-tended as beautifully preserved, arrested in time; and the party duplicated the past in every anachronistic detail. . 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 . Marvin Katz was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Dr. Donald LaVerne Katz and Lila Maxine Katz on December 12, 1935. CAFRITZ James Edward Cafritz James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. 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. "I think he went along," says a longtime business associate, Irwin Altman. Today, Calvin is foundation chairman. The judge's decision, though in favor of Conrad and Carter Cafritz, is of little. 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, Carter and Conrad, all of Washington, and 13 grandchildren. Through a number of different companies, he both invests in and develops all kinds of properties -- commercial, residential, retail and even industrial. 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. She was born January 30, 1936 in Kennett, MO to the late David Richard Roberts and Betty Burbank Roberts. Of the three sons, Calvin seems to have had the best relationship with his mother. 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. 'Their Financial Needs Are Adequately Provided For'. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. . All rights reserved. All rights reserved. "The boys used to make a joke of their mother. 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. He is a leading supporter of the Global India Fund, and the Ukapav Indian-American Scholarship Foundation. He is also survived by his brother Conrad Cafritz, chairman and CEO of Cafritz Interests, a real estate company. 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. He was "greatly respected and liked, even in an antisemitic society," recalls Dixon. He was 91 years of. Chances are, many Washingtonians might not even realize how much real estate the Cafritz family is responsible for in the area. They keep china and glassware sufficient to serve hundreds. Cardiac Arrest.Most Shocking Celebrity Deaths of All Time, Over the last few decades, there have been some shocking and untimely deaths of few celebrities, Celebrity deaths in 2022: Remembering the famous faces we lost this year . This is in alignment with GW efforts to benefit the local community., Cafritz was a leading force in the establishment of GWs Center for Excellence in Public Leadership (CEPL) in 1997, to help support the D.C. government just as it was coming out of receivership from the U.S. Congress. Your email address will not be published. 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. Late last year, Calvins wife Jane was elected to succeed her husband as the foundations president and CEO and he was named chairman emeritus. Mild, self-effacing, decorous, humble, and unfailingly courteous, Mr. Cafritz led by example and always with a smile. ", Gwendolyn's estate is worth at least $140 million, including both her personal holdings and a trust passed on from Morris Cafritz's will (see box, Page 32). 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. Once grown, the sons established limited, perfunctory contacts with their mother. "He got up at 5 or 5:30, and he wanted to show me what a hard-working man he was.". If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Authorize the publication of the original written obituary with the accompanying photo. 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. She could no longer make an entrance, of course. He left it as follows: Half to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

. He never tired of committing himself to this mission, which only grew bigger with time. 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. 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. It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. For another, he is said to alternate in seconds between a manic intensity and a mumbling diffidence. 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. Conrad and Carter Cafritz are pursuing this stake in two ways: One is a lawsuit naming all her beneficiaries and her executors -- William P. Rogers, Martin Atlas and Riggs National Bank. We hoped to let the public know about these outstanding individuals and to send a message to other excellent government employees that their dedication and considerable accomplishments are valued." 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. Throughout his career he was recognized not only for his natural intuitive insight but also for his in-depth study and acute analysis of every possibility for investment in real estate. Irene Bloch, as she is called, is a wealthy department store owner's wife who mounts a relentless campaign for acceptance in Washington society. Yet he uncomplainingly supported all of Gwendolyn's efforts, and was said to adore his colorful bride. Echovita Inc is a registered trademark. With that philosophy he built a substantial reputation for philanthropy. For better or worse, he is the son who has tried to live out both their ambitions -- to build on a scale that will make an impact on the city, and to develop a persona that will make him an actor in the capital. ", Other documents filed in court indicate that the sons will argue their mother was incapacitated by alcoholism. An obituary is not available at this time for Calvin Cafritz. In Memoriam: Calvin Cafritz. "I've just bought 100 acres of downtown Washington," he was fond of saying. Of the three Cafritz sons, says restaurateur Herb White, "Conrad seems to be the one who has something to prove to himself.". In July 1993, he was elected President and CEO of the Foundation and in the last six months became Chairman Emeritus. 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. 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. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. 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. (Conrad and Peggy were both involved in Barry's first election campaign, and Peggy is the godmother of Barry's son, Christopher.) The daughter of a Hungarian immunologist who had a role in devising the early Wasserman test to detect syphilis, Gwen Cafritz was the opposite of her husband. He was preceded in death by his brother Carter Cafritz. Among the guests that June evening were her three sons, Calvin, Carter and Conrad. To Martin Atlas, she left $50,000 and a Chagall painting. ", As is often true when the secretive disease of alcoholism is combined with the see-no-evil sociability of Washington, Gwendolyn's problem was rarely recognized. Cafritz died in 1964 of a heart attack. The house on Foxhall Road, completed in 1938, was explicitly designed to fulfill that ambition. In the 1400 block of Spring Road NW is a row of seven almost identical walk-up apartment buildings. 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. In high school, for example, Conrad stood out even among his privileged classmates at St. Albans. Calvins father Morris built the now-demolished Ambassador Hotel at 14. and K Streets NW, homes next to the National Arboretum, the Greenwich Forest neighborhood in Bethesda and several office buildings downtown. When he died, his estate was the largest ever probated in the District of Columbia. Services Guestbook Condolences. Would you like to offer Calvin Cafritzs loved ones a condolence message? 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. Echovita offers a solidarity program that gives back the funds generated to families. He also has three children, five grandchildren and three stepchildren. Obituary. "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. But it was hard to remember, here, the titanic social ambition that had made her what she was. Funeral arrangement under the care ofSAGEL BLOOMFIELD DANZANSKY GOLDBERG FUNERAL CARE INC. 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. He was 91. She had not given a party for eight years, and even then, she had been memorializing the past; the real tradition, the old wine being decanted on this lambent June evening, had been decades in storage. "Decedent's condition deteriorated after the death of her husband in 1964 and grew worse in the following years. But almost no one seems to doubt that Conrad is the main force behind it. So he began buying real estate speculatively, and in 1920 opened a real estate office on 15th Street NW. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. In 1971, Mr. Cafritz resigned to form Calvin Cafritz Enterprises, with investments in aviation, communications, and Washington area real estate. 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. But it was a heady enough wine to call out 300 guests, and the ghosts of many more who had preceded them. Nor, apparently, is it for us to judge what her sons now want from a D.C. Superior Court judge: All three declined to beinterviewed. a medically-induced . She set aside bequests for two nephews ($35,000 each); a former company employee, Dorothy Casey ($10,000); and four former servants (two bequests of $50,000 and two of $25,000). Beginning with single-family houses, moving on to apartment houses and office buildings, he managed to dodge the Depression and was well positioned to preside over the city's transforming boom during and after World War II (see box, Page 20). Write your message of sympathy today. "Conrad was persistent as hell in getting that project," says one person familiar with Conrad's business. But he reached outside that circle when he finally married. 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. January 12, 2023 Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. ", The Cafritzes slept in separate bedrooms, Morris rising at dawn to get to the office. Ways to honor Calvin Cafritz's life and legacy. Website by Red Clay Creative, Chances are, many Washingtonians might not even realize how much real estate the Cafritz family is responsible for in the area. The foundation, which Calvin led for over 30 years (after his mother Gwendolyn died in 1988), focuses on programs in the arts and humanities. 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 have her will overturned and her estate, worth at least $140 million, divided among her children. He died on Thursday, Jan. 12, at age 91. Michael J. Dowling, who became the Cafritzes' butler in the early '60s, describes a tragically common decline. Mr. Cafritz was married previously two times; his first wife was Enid Cafritz and his second wife was Joyce Smith. As he stood by her chair, he could name at a glance quite a few of the guests -- Chief Justice and Mrs. Warren Burger . Published by The Washington Post on Jan. 22, 2023. None of the Cafritz sons can be said to need the money that is at stake. She retained the right to will awaythe remaining three-quarters, or $63 million, which sheleft to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. The Cromwell, Aberdeen, Fernbrook, Rosedale, Isleworth, Traymore and Zellwood are in sorry shape today, but still stand as a modest monument to the name C-A-F-R-I-T-Z. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. There are also real estate assets at Arlingtons 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, which is the former home of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. He was 91 at the time he died. He also is a director. And even then, there was always fussing. 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. He often conveyed his conviction that believing in a cause obligated one to support it financially. He died on Thursday, Jan. 12, at age 91. Influence over the city's future -- no doubt. Cafritzs passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. With such a ruling, the trust would pass to the three sons, as outlined in Morris's will. They're more like the French salons.". "With so-called friends all around her, she was a very lonely woman," says Dowling. His father, Morris, established one of the Washington region's leading philanthropic entities, the Morris and . . Special Neighborhood Hang Out: Say Cheese! Cafritz's passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. His mother, Gwendolyn, one of Washington's leading hostesses in the post-World War II years, was President of the Foundation from 1964 to 1988. . 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. To Edward R. Murrow, in a 1956 interview, she said that to speak of Washington cocktail parties was "unfair to Washington. 2017-2023 Tribute Archive. Calvin Cafritz, a native and longtime resident of Washington, DC, was born March 29, 1931, as the eldest son of Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz. 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. And by 1970, arts and humanities took the largest share of the funding. Md.-based government contractor relocates headquarters to Fairfax Co. Montgomery County, MD Files Lawsuit Against McKinsey and Company, Inc. for Companys Role in Creating Opioid Epidemic, GSA Seeks Commercial Procurement Data Solution. "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. She is survived by her daughter Jane Cafritz (Calvin) of Washington, DC, five grandchildren: James Speyer, Irina Rubenstein and .