. Yet Morris made little impression on Gwendolyn's social world, and she often went out or took vacations alone. At the same time, he and Tompkins had the foresight to buy the land now known as Pentagon City. . The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. 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. Finally, there is the legacy contained in any will: The power to reward or to punish the living, to define or rearrange the narrative of a family's history. 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. And Gwendolyn's estate is not, in the end, the only -- or even the main thing -- at stake. "That black sense of humor asserts itself, or he'll do something outrageous." Marvin Katz was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Dr. Donald LaVerne Katz and Lila Maxine Katz on December 12, 1935. It is easy to imagine that for a son of Morris Cafritz, watching great deals go unmade is a kind of hell. Calvin Fritz Obituary (1952 - 2021) - Legacy Remembers 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. 2 SONS CONTEST $84 MILLION CAFRITZ WILL - The Washington Post [2] He is buried in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Philanthropy [ edit] Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. He was 91. Marvin LaVerne Katz, 83, of Dallas, Texas, passed away on November 22, 2019 in Dallas. 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. "Those were her orders: The Scotch should never be let go beneath the neck of the decanter. D.C. developer, businessman and philanthropist Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate icon Morris Cafritz and his wife Gwendolyn, died . It has been variously reviewed as "one of the more important bands to emerge from the new head-slamming school of American guitar/noise bands" and "the gnarliest, most scuzzed out molotov to hit the streets since the heady days of Teenage Jesus and The Jerks." Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of real estate developer Morris Cafritz, died last week at the age of 91. He also is a director. "I'm sure part of it was to show Herb Miller he was serious.". 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. Here, still, was the art moderne house, nearly as startling in 1986 as it had been when Morris Cafritz built it for his young family almost 50 years earlier. Philanthropic 50: Calvin and Jane Cafritz: They Sing For More Than Washington, DC 20007 Rachel M. Ratowsky Obituary 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. "He wasn't overly enthused about it, but those were her wishes, and he sort of enjoyed it in a quiet way. 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 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. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Jane Lipton Cafritz, a distinguished Washington lawyer, whom he married on June 1, 2000. 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. But it was a heady enough wine to call out 300 guests, and the ghosts of many more who had preceded them. There is no photo or video of Calvin Cafritz.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. One quarter to be divided among his sons, in trusts they would inherit outright at age 35. When the Cafritzes' back terrace offered the most celebrated view of the city, southeast, past the swimming pool and rolling lawn, all the way to the Capitol. 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. 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. They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. All three had become local real estate developers, successful, if less spectacular, emulators of their father. Mr. "He just wanted to build, build, build, build!" (Conrad and Peggy were both involved in Barry's first election campaign, and Peggy is the godmother of Barry's son, Christopher.) But it was hard to remember, here, the titanic social ambition that had made her what she was. But in the end, her siege of Washington society outlasted most of those limits. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. The suit was filed by the middle and youngest Cafritz sons, Carter, 53, and Conrad, 51. And {Gwendolyn} was just considered comical, and there were a lot of jokes about her. 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. In Remembrance. Chances are, many Washingtonians might not even realize how much real estate the Cafritz family is responsible for in the area. ", High culture was one of her chosen routes to acceptance. Even her friends laughed at the way she would seat herself intently in the lobby of the Paris Hotel in Monte Carlo, at a table "very strategically placed," in the words of one, to court the passing society. Of the $54 million the foundation has given away since 1970, $32 million has gone to the arts and humanities, almost $9 million to community services, $8 million to education and almost $5 million to health. CAFRITZ James Edward Cafritz James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. If she gave them an order, they took it lightly, because she liked to drink. But they also sort of outraged people." But Gwendolyn sometimes took pains to tell friends that she herself was not Jewish. A minor but colorful part of Cafritz's legacy was an idea borrowed from Harry Wardman, his predecessor as the leader of the field. It is a jolting reminder that Peggy and Conrad, a black woman married to a white Jewish millionaire in a racially divided city, represent a fascinating reshuffling of the social deck that produced the polarized marriage of Morris and Gwendolyn. Recommend Calvin's obituary to your friends. 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. CALVIN FRITZ OBITUARY Wyoming - Calvin "Roger" Fritz, 69, of Wyoming, passed away at 5:29 p.m. Friday, December 24, 2021 at his home. He began with houses, ultimately building about 10,000 homes in the Washington area. His class yearbook is littered with references to his family's money; in a list at the back of "most likely" candidates, the last two entries read, "Most Likely to Succeed: Johnson, Clague," and "Doesn't Have To: Cafritz. They have helped us to be innovative and to expand. She is survived by her daughter Jane Cafritz (Calvin) of Washington, DC, five grandchildren: James Speyer, Irina Rubenstein and . Calvin Cafritz, D.C. developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation, dies His faith was great enough to lead him into investments that would later seem visionary: He developed the Temple Heights tract at Connecticut and Florida, for example, buying the land in 1945 with developer Charles H. Tompkins and sitting on it for 12 years before selling the northern part for development of the Washington Hilton, and building the two Universal Buildings on the southern part of the site. He was 91. ", Interviews suggest the sons will not lack for evidence to support their argument. 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. The judge's decision, though in favor of Conrad and Carter Cafritz, is of little. Calvin Cafritz, their eldest son, became Board Chairman in 1989 and in 1993, he was elected President and CEO of the Foundation. He was an excellent listener and always got both the big picture and important details by asking insightful questions. With such a ruling, the trust would pass to the three sons, as outlined in Morris's will. Click here for full story from WTOP and the Washington Business Journal. He was for years the president of the Jewish Community Center and donated the land for its first headquarters on Q Street NW. ", 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." "That what she wanted was pointless is not for us to judge.". Conrad's ex-wife, former D.C. School Board Chairwoman Peggy Cooper Cafritz, recently resurfaced after her art-filled home was destroyed in a fire last year. His commitment to causes and institutions extended beyond writing checks to giving time and energy. including, but not limited to, any facilities located in Washington, D.C.; Palm Beach, Florida; or Monte Carlo, Monaco." Today, Calvin is foundation chairman. In 2000, under Mr. Cafritz' leadership, the foundation's board established the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation Awards for Distinguished DC Government Employees, an annual program designed to recognize and reward outstanding performance and exemplary service by locally based federal employees. He also has three children, five grandchildren and three stepchildren. At the least, then, Gwendolyn's will disposes of more than $140 million. 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. There are no events at this time. The complaint further asserts that "when Decedent allegedly executed the purported Will and Codicil that have been offered for probate herein, Decedent lacked a sound and disposing mind and was not capable of executing a valid deed or contract. Mr. Cafritz said that the awards are designed to "shine a light on the contributions of extraordinary government employees. 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. It took lawyers and IRS agents 4 years to settle the estate, which was valued in 1968 at $66 million. Cafritz was a tireless promoter of the city. 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. Money -- to be sure. What do Conrad and Carter Cafritz hope to gain from an arduous legal proceeding that already involves at least 12 law firms and threatens to stretch on for years? The D.C. community is better for his engagement and we will miss him terribly.. Her hair was still a lacquered black, heavily dressed as always at the back of her head. To plant trees in memory, please visit the. They keep china and glassware sufficient to serve hundreds. 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. "The decanter always had to be full," Dowling says. Remembering Calvin Cafritz - The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation To Martin Atlas, she left $50,000 and a Chagall painting. He too has denied the sons' allegations in his formal answer to their complaint. If you know of an upcoming event for Calvin Cafritz, please add one. Conrad, who was a losing bidder for the job, waged a lengthy challenge, arguing that Western was giving short shrift to the minority partners whose participation qualified the partnership for the contract award; though he finally lost last year, he succeeded in forcing a renegotiation of terms between Western and the Redevelopment Land Agency. 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. Gwendolyn Cafritz, a leading Washington hostess, died of cancer Tuesday at her home in the capital. She appears every week on the WETA-TV arts show "Around Town." 5.8K. 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. Calvin Cafritz (1931-2023) | The Georgetowner She carried her isolation to her grave. 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. 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. 1050 30th St. NW "She was good to me, and she was a good woman in my eyes," he says. They're more like the French salons.". Mr. He has interests too in a booming brokerage firm he helped bankroll, and in a Midwestern shopping-center conglomerate. Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. March 29, 1931 - So he began buying real estate speculatively, and in 1920 opened a real estate office on 15th Street NW. As he stood by her chair, he could name at a glance quite a few of the guests -- Chief Justice and Mrs. Warren Burger . 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. By 1915 he was known locally as "The Bowling King" but still restlessly sought an opportunity that would truly engage him. In 1904, with a $1,400 loan from his father, he started out running a coal yard at Fourth and K streets NW, then a saloon near Fourth and O. But he reached outside that circle when he finally married. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. There was no one she would not invite to dinner, sometimes calling the offices of Cabinet secretaries to ask for any day in the next year when the secretary would be free. ", While she cultivated the mighty, Morris looked closer to home, helping to found the Washington Community Chest, becoming an activist in local Jewish groups. 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 . Betty Lou Roberts Colvin, age 84 of Warren, AR passed away November 5, 2020 at Chapel Woods Nursing Home in Warren, AR. 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. Morris had one vision, and Gwendolyn another; whoever now gains control might offer still a third. 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. James Edward Cafritz <p>James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. All three stayed in Washington to work at some variation of their father's trade. But maybe they just don't want Gwen Cafritz to have the last word. 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.