We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. Throughout the '40s and '50s it was her custom to give a large cocktail reception each spring, and to mark the opening of every fall season with a party honoring the start of the Supreme Court term. 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. 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. 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.". It's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. In 2001, the Cafritz Foundation gave $1 million toward the Cafritz Conference Center in the University Student Center. . He is also survived by his brother Conrad Cafritz, chairman and CEO of Cafritz Interests, a real estate company. For him, philanthropy required partnerships that are broad, diverse, and extensive. According to Susan Boerstling, GWs assistant vice president for corporate and foundation relations, the partnership of the Cafritz Foundation with GW is unique in terms of other universities in the area. The annual Cafritz Awards Gala has been held on campus for many years, Boerstling noted, representing a partnership between the university, the foundation and the Office of the D.C. Mayor. 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. With that philosophy he built a substantial reputation for philanthropy. "With so-called friends all around her, she was a very lonely woman," says Dowling. He often conveyed his conviction that believing in a cause obligated one to support it financially. 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. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. March 29, 1931 - Remembering Calvin Cafritz - The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation 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. When the Duke and Duchess of Windsor came and danced downstairs in "the Club," with the dance floor lighted from below. Says a friend, "He thinks they're a lot of fuddy-duddies living in the 17th century." In 1971, Mr. Cafritz resigned to form Calvin Cafritz Enterprises, with investments in aviation, communications, and Washington area real estate. 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. "Carter, he always did what the other two did," says Casey. Funeral arrangement under the care ofSAGEL BLOOMFIELD DANZANSKY GOLDBERG FUNERAL CARE INC. To Edward R. Murrow, in a 1956 interview, she said that to speak of Washington cocktail parties was "unfair to Washington. Gwendolyn Cafritz, 78, Washington Hostess - The New York Times [email protected], Copyright 2022 Government Executive Consulting Services. As he stood by her chair, he could name at a glance quite a few of the guests -- Chief Justice and Mrs. Warren Burger . 2 SONS CONTEST $84 MILLION CAFRITZ WILL - The Washington Post Calvin Cafritz, D.C. developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation, dies She carried her isolation to her grave. 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. ", 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. In the process, he amassed one of the first great fortunes to be carved out of Washington itself. Obituary. 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. 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. Where he was meat and potatoes, earnest frugality, civic pride, she was flashing dark beauty, mercurial moods and social ambition. She was 78 years old. The Morris and. Irene Bloch, as she is called, is a wealthy department store owner's wife who mounts a relentless campaign for acceptance in Washington society. 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. In the last half-century, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has awarded more than $507 million in grants. All Rights Reserved. As you draw close to the famous burgundy front door, with its surrounding marble, you can see that the paint is cracking and fading to pink; and greenish stains from metal window fixtures are starting to weep down the white brick walls. There he built the massive River House apartments; his estate eventually sold most of the land for others to develop. "Lots of times she could drink and she knew exactly what she was doing. At the time the lawsuit was filed, family sources told The Washington Post that the marital trust was worth $84 million. [2] He is buried in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Philanthropy [ edit] Perhaps one day Calvin, or Conrad, or some Cafritz now unknown, will find a way to bring together the opposite forms of ambition that thrived in this house, and give a second start to the dynasty that never was. In Memoriam: Calvin Cafritz | GW Today | The George Washington University And {Gwendolyn} was just considered comical, and there were a lot of jokes about her. 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. With such a ruling, the trust would pass to the three sons, as outlined in Morris's will. It is a secretive organization: The foundation would answer no questions for this article. 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. 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. Calvin Cafritz, developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation, dies In Memoriam: Calvin Cafritz. After Morris Cafritz died, his close associate Martin Atlas became executive vice president of the company, and vice president and treasurer of the Cafritz Foundation, while Gwendolyn Cafritz ultimately became president of both. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Calvin Cafritz. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. He was 91. This suit asks the court to overturn her will, after which, under D.C. law, her property would be divided among her sons. For another, he is said to alternate in seconds between a manic intensity and a mumbling diffidence. 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). The foundation, which Calvin led for over 30 years (after his mother Gwendolyn died in 1988), focuses on programs in the arts and humanities. "The boys used to make a joke of their mother. "That black sense of humor asserts itself, or he'll do something outrageous." "Conrad is really an anomaly," says lawyer and real estate developer Donald Brown. Meanwhile, for as long as it takes, Conrad's childhood home turns a sleeping face to Foxhall Road, drapes drawn at all the windows. 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. She was forever trying to tell me some long story I could never make head or tail of. "Those were her orders: The Scotch should never be let go beneath the neck of the decanter. . 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. The Cafritz Foundation is also responsible for developing Art Place at Fort Totten, a huge mixed-use project in the Northeast D.C. area. Leave a sympathy message to the family in the guestbook on this memorial page of Calvin Cafritz to show support. 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. 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. Cafritz was a native and longtime resident of Washington, DC. Cafritz exemplified what it means to be an inspirational leader and a great human being, said Pyatybratova. Power List 2010: DC Family Dynasties - Washington Life Magazine Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. ", According to friends, her confidence was badly shaken when she was robbed at home in 1969 by gunmen who bound and beat her, stealing most of the spectacular jewelry Morris had given her. 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. 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. Through a number of different companies, he both invests in and develops all kinds of properties -- commercial, residential, retail and even industrial. "I've just bought 100 acres of downtown Washington," he was fond of saying. I hope they will. Washington Life Magazine: June 2007:WEALTH LIST Ways to honor Calvin Cafritz's life and legacy. In any case, he was at least 20 years older than his bride when they married in 1929. The majority of this property was already owned by the Cafritz Foundation, but Gwendolyn was partial owner of many of the buildings; even a limited power to control their disposition would presumably attract men with ambitions in Washington real estate. The house on Foxhall Road, completed in 1938, was explicitly designed to fulfill that ambition. He was for years the president of the Jewish Community Center and donated the land for its first headquarters on Q Street NW. 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. 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. "She was a classic case," summarizes Vidal. He also has three children, five grandchildren and three stepchildren. Devoted father to Laurence (Sherri) Cafritz and Jodi (Mark Bronsky) Cafritz; cherished grandfather to Daniel, Ryan, Jeremy, Jack and Mick; beloved friend of first wife Sandie Cafritz; loving brother to the late William (Buffy) Cafritz; treasured uncle to Sandy (Helen . Today, he is married to Peggy Cooper Cafritz, who is a local power in the arts and in liberal political causes -- and the only Cafritz listed in Who's Who. Calvin Cafritz, D.C. developer, businessman and philanthropist has died But maybe they just don't want Gwen Cafritz to have the last word. Calvin Cafritz - Rockville, Maryland , Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Send simple, comforting meals with Home Chef. 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. He was 91. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. CAFRITZ James Edward Cafritz James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. He resigned seven years later to form Cafritz Enterprises. Calvin Cafritz obituary - fskhub.com By 1915 he was known locally as "The Bowling King" but still restlessly sought an opportunity that would truly engage him. In 2021 alone, the foundation awarded some 430 grants to 413 nonprofits. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. 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. 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. Peggy Cooper Cafritz, grande dame of the Washington arts and education 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. 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. 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.". 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. 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. 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. D.C. developer, businessman and philanthropist Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate icon Morris Cafritz and his wife Gwendolyn, died . To one interviewer she said that art was "the theme, you might say" of her life, "as in a Wagnerian opera." All three stayed in Washington to work at some variation of their father's trade. "Jews in general just didn't figure. Perhaps as a result, he works hard, with much of Morris's old drive. If you know of an upcoming event for Calvin Cafritz, please add one. 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. In 1929 he also built the since-demolished Ambassador Hotel, at 14th and K streets NW, where he and his family lived until 1938. By the time of her death, however, Calvin was still the son closest to his mother. 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. When he died, his estate would be the largest ever probated in the District of Columbia; it would take teams of lawyers and IRS agents four years to settle the estate, finally valued in 1968 at $66 million. 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 . 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. The Cafritz Foundation is also a longtime supporter of GWs Honey W. Nashman Center for Civic Engagement and Public Service. 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. He may sometimes have yearned for recognition: One night, after one of the glamorous dinners, he drew a friend of Gwendolyn's away from the dining room and into the kitchen. She retained the right to will awaythe remaining three-quarters, or $63 million, which sheleft to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. Gradually, as Gwendolyn took command of it, its character changed.