Site design by, D.C. developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation. He died on Thursday, Jan. 12, at age 91. 2000 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Conrad and Carter Cafritz are claiming that Rogers and Atlas "secured domination and control" over Gwendolyn, controlling all of her assets and making her the figurehead president of both the foundation and the real estate businesses, "notwithstanding that she was, and Defendants Atlas and Rogers knew she was, incapable of discharging the duties incumbent upon her in such positions." But they also sort of outraged people." ", Interviews suggest the sons will not lack for evidence to support their argument. Home Click here for full story from WTOP and the Washington Business Journal. (Conrad and Peggy were both involved in Barry's first election campaign, and Peggy is the godmother of Barry's son, Christopher.) Recognizably brothers, the youngest of them nearing his fifties, they were a striking presence at the party. Funeral arrangement under the care ofSAGEL BLOOMFIELD DANZANSKY GOLDBERG FUNERAL CARE INC. 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. 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 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. Gwendolyn Cafritz died of cancer last November. She was multilingual and had studied art history at the University of Budapest. He served in these roles until 2022, when Jane Lipton Cafritz, his wife, was elected Board Chair and President and CEO. 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. The foundation, among Greater Washingtons largest with more than $400 million in assets and some $65 million in annual revenue and expenses, according to its most recent Form 990, is expected to issue a formal statement in the coming days. Cafritz developed real estate here for more than four decades, until his death in 1964, and by the sheer volume and variety of his building activities was for a time the undisputed king of his field. "Watch Washington Grow to One Million," he urged in newspaper ads of the '40s, a slogan he changed to "Watch Washington Grow to Two Million" after the 1950 census counted more than 1.4 million in the metropolitan area. Calvin Cafritz began his career with Cafritz Construction in 1947, pausing briefly to attend college and serve in the military. Perhaps as a result, he works hard, with much of Morris's old drive. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. "Getting along with her," says one developer who knows the family, "was something none of them ever mastered. The foundation is Washington's largest source of private funds earmarked exclusively for local projects, large enough to give the person who controls it a potentially shaping influence on the city. Mr. Cafritz said that the awards are designed to "shine a light on the contributions of extraordinary government employees. Read more on bizjournals.com. They're more like the French salons.". January 12, 2023 In 1929 he also built the since-demolished Ambassador Hotel, at 14th and K streets NW, where he and his family lived until 1938. "Very sort of philosophic, sort of honorable." Says a friend, "He thinks they're a lot of fuddy-duddies living in the 17th century." 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,. The best poems for funerals, memorial services., and cards. Gradually, as Gwendolyn took command of it, its character changed. 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. Services Guestbook Condolences. But he's much different from his father, in a lot of ways. Morris had one vision, and Gwendolyn another; whoever now gains control might offer still a third. They have helped us to be innovative and to expand. It is hard to imagine, in this competitive atmosphere, that a single person could have dominated the field as Morris Cafritz once did. . 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. It took lawyers and IRS agents 4 years to settle the estate, which was valued in 1968 at $66 million. The outcome of the lawsuit is unpredictable, though clearly it will be an uphill fight: Showing that someone was alcoholic is very different from demonstrating that she was incapable of writing a will. "I've just bought 100 acres of downtown Washington," he was fond of saying. 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. Mr. Cafritz began his career with Cafritz Construction Company in 1947. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. Calvin Cafritz, a native and longtime resident of Washington, DC, was born March 29, 1931, as the eldest son of Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz. And he still fights his battles with a surprising intensity, rarely bothering with the shake-hands-and-forget-it bonhomie common in Washington business. 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. 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. "When I heard about it, I wrote Conrad and told him I thought it was a horrible thing he and his brother were doing to his mother," says Dorothy L. Casey, a retired secretary who worked for the Cafritz Co. for decades, reflecting a widespread tendency to speak of Carter as his brother's satellite. In the last half-century, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has awarded more than $507 million in grants. Cafritz was a tireless promoter of the city. "She felt that was the end, when she couldn't function socially.". "He wasn't overly enthused about it, but those were her wishes, and he sort of enjoyed it in a quiet way. 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. Today, Calvin is foundation chairman. 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. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. Following the death of his father, Calvin became president of The Cafritz Co., Cafritz Construction Co. and Ambassador, Inc. in 1964. All of their lives, the Cafritz boys have been aware of their status as the sons of Morris and Gwendolyn. 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). "He took me into the kitchen and showed me how the cook would leave coffee for him in the morning," remembers the friend. And even then, there was always fussing. Upon Morris Cafritz's death in 1964, he became president of the Cafritz Co.; and in the first will Gwendolyn wrote, in 1969, which included all three sons, she made Calvin an executor and left him the Foxhall Road house. Roger was born on September 30, 1952 in Toulon, the son. Small wonder that, as he approached his forties unmarried, he was one of the most eligible bachelors within the small, closed circle of Washington's Jewish society. "Decedent's condition deteriorated after the death of her husband in 1964 and grew worse in the following years. sales@governmentexecutiveconsultingservices.com, Copyright 2022 Government Executive Consulting Services. Money -- to be sure. 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. For one thing, he has a dark, avowedly cynical sense of humor. 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. 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. 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. There is no photo or video of Calvin Cafritz.Be the first to share a memory to pay tribute. Her skin had an unhealthy, pouchy pallor; extending an uncertain hand, she had the air of a dreamer deploying remembered charms. ", High culture was one of her chosen routes to acceptance. Tech Tip: How to Turn Documents and Images into PDFs in Android. 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. Or purchase a subscription for unlimited access to real news you can count on. ", She kept up appearances even in the privacy of her home, where she drank Scotch from a decanter in the living room. We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. Published by The Washington Post on Jan. 22, 2023. 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? She appears every week on the WETA-TV arts show "Around Town." 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. Under the terms of an old agreement, each of the sons will automatically receive $7 million, tax-free, in recompense for having forfeited, in the late '60s, some money from a different trust. 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. He was 91. 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. "I just thought she maybe had had enough of running around, and she was maybe going to stay in a while. 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.". "He just wanted to build, build, build, build!" 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. 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. 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. But Gwendolyn sometimes took pains to tell friends that she herself was not Jewish. 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. There were of course the grand exceptions like the Warburgs, and Walter Lippmann, and Arthur Krock . Her gown, as in the past, was spectacularly formal: folds of purple satin sweeping to her ankles beneath a fitted bodice. 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. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. 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. 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 wanted something, and she put up with a lot of {expletive}, and she got it. He was 91. 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. 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. With that philosophy he built a substantial reputation for philanthropy. For some people, the best send-off is one that they would have loved to attendthemselves: a big party. He was 91 years of. 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. 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's surprising how much a musical selection can affect mourning. 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 . The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation is already, with its more than $220 million in assets, the largest source of private funds earmarked for the District of Columbia. When the Duke and Duchess of Windsor came and danced downstairs in "the Club," with the dance floor lighted from below. "With so-called friends all around her, she was a very lonely woman," says Dowling. 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. Ways to honor Calvin Cafritz's life and legacy. [2] He is buried in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Philanthropy [ edit] If you know of an upcoming event for Calvin Cafritz, please add one. "I know Atlas hates publicity like poison," says Raymond Carter, a former Cafritz Co. vice president. She has pressured the Smithsonian to increase the number of minorities in high-ranking positions and has been arrested outside the South African Embassy as a leader of Mother's Day protests there. That's what we call a success story. 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. A memorial service will be held at a later date. ", While she cultivated the mighty, Morris looked closer to home, helping to found the Washington Community Chest, becoming an activist in local Jewish groups. 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. 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. "That black sense of humor asserts itself, or he'll do something outrageous." In 2001, the Cafritz Foundation gave $1 million toward the Cafritz Conference Center in the University Student Center. Today he shares office space and support staff with Conrad's growing interests, but for the most part pursues his own deals. In Memoriam: Calvin Cafritz. Calvin, 58, who finds himself a defendant in this lawsuit, is usually described as gentlemanly, methodical and reserved. But it was a heady enough wine to call out 300 guests, and the ghosts of many more who had preceded them. Washington, DC 20006. The Cafritz Foundation is also responsible for developing Art Place at Fort Totten, a huge mixed-use project in the Northeast D.C. area. 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. 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. "Conrad is really an anomaly," says lawyer and real estate developer Donald Brown. recalls Raymond Carter, a former vice president of the Cafritz Co. "He always had a new job going.