2017-2023 Tribute Archive. The entire time, he fought with gloves off, publicly charging his rivals with bad faith. 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. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Jane Lipton Cafritz, a distinguished Washington lawyer, whom he married on June 1, 2000. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. He will always be remembered and loved by our team and the thousands of people whose lives he touched for his humility, kindness and willingness to go above and beyond in service of our great city and community.. Calvin's younger brothers, Conrad and Carter, are behind-the- scenes players in many business and charitable ventures players. JAMES CAFRITZ Obituary (1930 - 2020) - Rockville, DC - The Washington Post Named in the lawsuit, besides Calvin, is everyone to whom Gwendolyn Cafritz made a bequest, including her former servants and grandchildren, two nephews and an old escort. Site design by, D.C. developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation. Small grants went to 15 more Jewish charities, and the rest to such local charities as boys clubs and hospital funds. At the same time, he and Tompkins had the foresight to buy the land now known as Pentagon City. The judge's decision, though in favor of Conrad and Carter Cafritz, is of little. Perhaps the most remarkable member of this third generation is his daughter Julia, who dropped out of Brown University four years ago with a classmate to found a band named Pussy Galore. That's why her final victory rather delighted me. 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. Calvin, Carter and Conrad, all of Washington, and 13 grandchildren. But it was hard to remember, here, the titanic social ambition that had made her what she was. She retained the right to will awaythe remaining three-quarters, or $63 million, which sheleft to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. 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. recalls Raymond Carter, a former vice president of the Cafritz Co. "He always had a new job going. ", 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. Her skin had an unhealthy, pouchy pallor; extending an uncertain hand, she had the air of a dreamer deploying remembered charms. 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. And to the publicity-loathing cave dwellers, the Georgetown hostesses who were society leaders by birth, Gwendolyn's so-visible efforts made her a figure of fun. It is hard to imagine, in this competitive atmosphere, that a single person could have dominated the field as Morris Cafritz once did. 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. ", She kept up appearances even in the privacy of her home, where she drank Scotch from a decanter in the living room. 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. Since 1989, Cafritz led the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, a charitable organization named for his parents. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. Cafritzs encouragement has particularly strengthened the Washington-area communitys appreciation of textiles as a vital form of artistic expression and global cultural heritage.". 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. 2 SONS CONTEST $84 MILLION CAFRITZ WILL - The Washington Post Michael J. Dowling, who became the Cafritzes' butler in the early '60s, describes a tragically common decline. 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). Some observers speculate that Conrad, hardheaded real estate man that he is, simply wants some say in the disposition of the real estate owned -- in many cases, co-owned -- by the foundation and Gwendolyn's estate. There were of course the grand exceptions like the Warburgs, and Walter Lippmann, and Arthur Krock . But he's much different from his father, in a lot of ways. 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. 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. CAFRITZ SONS WIN ESTATE CHALLENGE - The Washington Post All rights reserved. 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. In the last half-century, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has awarded more than $507 million in grants. But Carter and Conrad Cafritz are not named in their mother's will. 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. Money -- to be sure. James Edward Cafritz <p>James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. 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 Gwendolyn sometimes took pains to tell friends that she herself was not Jewish. January 2023 - Page 189 - obituaries death Conrad and his first wife entertained often in their Georgetown house in the '60s, giving parties -- often liberal fund-raisers -- that offered cozy intimations of radical chic. For now, the house is tended by at least two servants, who are listed in court documents as living there, and the grass is beautifully clipped, the pachysandra well-tended. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. A memorial service will be held at a later date. He was 91. As time went on, she lost complete control, and she had to drink more. (202) 338-4833, Georgetown Media Group. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. He died on Thursday, Jan. 12, at age 91. He was the eldest son of real estate titan Morris Cafritz and his wife Gwendolyn. In real estate, especially within the constricting borders of D.C., power isn't limited to those who own the land; controlling the land can be almost as good. His father, Morris, established one of the Washington region's leading philanthropic entities, the Morris and . They keep china and glassware sufficient to serve hundreds. 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. Calvin Cafritz began his career with Cafritz Construction in 1947, pausing briefly to attend college and serve in the military. He often conveyed his conviction that believing in a cause obligated one to support it financially. Calvin Cafritz - Rockville, Maryland , Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky 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. Senator Barry Goldwater . "I make no other provision in this will for the benefit of my children," it states, "as their financial needs are adequately provided for" by the old agreement giving them $7 million each. Mr. Of the three sons, Calvin seems to have had the best relationship with his mother. "Decedent's condition deteriorated after the death of her husband in 1964 and grew worse in the following years. 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. To those who thronged to the parties, the children were rarely in evidence. Cafritz's passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. 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. 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. And given the life she had lived and the kind of friends she had cultivated, few people were close enough to her to understand why. He left it as follows: Half to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. . G Guest 4 hours ago Comment Share T The staff at Sagel Bloomfield Danzansky Goldberg Funeral Care Inc a day ago We plant this tree as a living memorial to Calvin. 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. 'Their Financial Needs Are Adequately Provided For'. This suit asks the court to overturn her will, after which, under D.C. law, her property would be divided among her sons. "Conrad is really an anomaly," says lawyer and real estate developer Donald Brown. Calvin Cafritz, D.C. developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation, dies In May, Jane Lipton Cafritz hosted a lunch that brought together a number of young opera singers and many of their supporters and admirers. 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. January 12, 2023 There are hints too that he has social ambitions on Gwendolyn's scale, if not exactly of her type. 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. Find Calvin Cafritz obituaries and memorials at Legacy.com Was believed to be 102. So he began buying real estate speculatively, and in 1920 opened a real estate office on 15th Street NW. Yet he uncomplainingly supported all of Gwendolyn's efforts, and was said to adore his colorful bride. But almost no one seems to doubt that Conrad is the main force behind it. 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. Cafritzs passing was confirmed by the charitable organization named after Morris and his wife, The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. "She was not, as they say, invited anywhere at the beginning," recalls Gore Vidal, whose novel Washington, D.C. includes a character "suggested," he says, by Gwendolyn Cafritz. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. It asks the court to rule that under Morris's will, which gave Gwendolyn the right to leave the trust to "such person or persons" as she wished, the foundation -- technically a corporation -- could not qualify to receive the trust. Irene Bloch, as she is called, is a wealthy department store owner's wife who mounts a relentless campaign for acceptance in Washington society. 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." 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. 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. Of the three Cafritz sons, says restaurateur Herb White, "Conrad seems to be the one who has something to prove to himself.". Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz were oil and water, a marriage forged out of surprisingly dissonant elements. 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. 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. Calvin Cafritz Obituary (1931 - 2023) | Rockville, Maryland Morris had one vision, and Gwendolyn another; whoever now gains control might offer still a third. For him, philanthropy required partnerships that are broad, diverse, and extensive. sales@governmentexecutiveconsultingservices.com, Copyright 2022 Government Executive Consulting Services. ", Interviews suggest the sons will not lack for evidence to support their argument. "That black sense of humor asserts itself, or he'll do something outrageous." But it was a heady enough wine to call out 300 guests, and the ghosts of many more who had preceded them. 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. But maybe they just don't want Gwen Cafritz to have the last word. Each is in his second marriage; each is in some way involved in the arts. 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. 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. ", Other documents filed in court indicate that the sons will argue their mother was incapacitated by alcoholism. 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. Your email address will not be published. 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.
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