An obituary is not available at this time for Calvin Cafritz. But it has that air of a property just turning past ripeness, toward seed. Its annual reports list a fairly traditional, staid set of beneficiaries, and its grants are studied by an advisory board heavily weighted toward the kind of high-profile, high-society arts philanthropy that Gwendolyn favored: Among the members are National Gallery of Art Director J. Carter Brown, retired Smithsonian secretary S. Dillon Ripley and retired librarian of Congress Daniel Boorstin, as well Carolyn Deaver, wife of former White House deputy chief of staff Michael K. Deaver, and a social friend of Gwendolyn's, Mrs. Tazewell Shepard. 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. He also has three children, five grandchildren and three stepchildren. Dean Liesl Riddle of the GW College of Professional Studies (CPS), where GW CEPL has been housed since 2005, said, Our college was launched to make an economic and social impact through innovative professional programs that cultivate talent for employers and propel students careers forward. But almost no one seems to doubt that Conrad is the main force behind it. 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. "Getting along with her," says one developer who knows the family, "was something none of them ever mastered. 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. But Conrad has rolled out impressive legal artillery, captained by former White House counsel Lloyd N. Cutler, and seems prepared to dig in for a long siege -- at least long enough, perhaps, to wring a settlement from his opponents. 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. 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. No one needed to be told that this was Gwendolyn Cafritz's last hurrah. Your email address will not be published. Giving to charity is a meaningful way to honor someone who has died. As he stood by her chair, he could name at a glance quite a few of the guests -- Chief Justice and Mrs. Warren Burger . 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. Through a number of different companies, he both invests in and develops all kinds of properties -- commercial, residential, retail and even industrial. Late last year, Calvins wife Jane was elected to succeed her husband as the foundations president and CEO and he was named chairman emeritus. But Carter and Conrad Cafritz are not named in their mother's will. ", She gave only two parties in the last 15 years of her life -- one in 1978, her first in five years, and the final party in 1986. He resigned seven years later to form Cafritz Enterprises. Morris grew up working in the store, stalking the Maine Avenue wharf for the freshest fish sold there and learning to love the adolescent city he saw around him. "Conrad was persistent as hell in getting that project," says one person familiar with Conrad's business. 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. The George Washington University community is remembering the life of Calvin Cafritz, a businessman, philanthropist and longtime supporter of GW. Would you like to offer Calvin Cafritzs loved ones a condolence message? Rachel was a daughter of the late Abraham and Chierney Yarowsky. In the 21st century, it's not just urns and gravestones anymore. CALVIN FRITZ OBITUARY Wyoming - Calvin "Roger" Fritz, 69, of Wyoming, passed away at 5:29 p.m. Friday, December 24, 2021 at his home. 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. 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. He was 91. "She wanted something, and she put up with a lot of {expletive}, and she got it. David Kessler's top 4 tips for dealing with holiday grief. In addition to his loving family, he leaves behind a long-time member of the family household, Lilian Punzalan, and countless admiring friends. They charge in their suit that Rogers and Atlas influenced her to leave all the property she controlled to the foundation. The mission of the foundation is improving the quality of life for all Washington, D.C., metropolitan-area residents, Boerstling said. (202) 338-4833, Georgetown Media Group. 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. He is survived by his loving and devoted wife, Jane Lipton Cafritz, a distinguished Washington lawyer, whom he married on June 1, 2000. . They're not a map to follow, but simply a description of what people commonly feel. Mr. Cafritz said that the awards are designed to "shine a light on the contributions of extraordinary government employees. I hope they will. There are also real estate assets at Arlingtons 3701 N. Fairfax Drive, which is the former home of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. There were of course the grand exceptions like the Warburgs, and Walter Lippmann, and Arthur Krock . And other times she didn't. Calvin Cafritz Obituary The Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has Died January 17, 2023 Calvin Cafritz Death, Obituary - Calvin Cafritz, the eldest son of Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz, died Thursday at Sibley Memorial Hospital. 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. Read more on bizjournals.com. 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. There are hints too that he has social ambitions on Gwendolyn's scale, if not exactly of her type. He was 91 years of. James Edward Cafritz <p>James Edward Cafritz of Bethesda, MD, passed away on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at the age of 90. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 pm on December 2 at First Presbyterian Church of Richardson with David Schaefers officiating. Some basic help and starters when you have to write a tribute to someone you love. None of the Cafritz sons can be said to need the money that is at stake. Ymelda Dixon, who covered many of her parties for the Evening Star, recalls, "They were great parties, because she had the means and the imagination. 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. Write your message of sympathy today. Mr. Cafritz was married previously two times; his first wife was Enid Cafritz and his second wife was Joyce Smith. 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. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. He died on Thursday, Jan. 12, at age 91. 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. Required fields are marked *. 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. [2] He is buried in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Philanthropy [ edit] Calvins brother Carter passed away in 2019. He was 91 at the time he died. Their complaint challenges her wish to leave all she owned, except for minor bequests, to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation, a charitable trust her husband had established 40 years before. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. 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. He never tired of committing himself to this mission, which only grew bigger with time. His father, Morris, established one of the Washington region's leading philanthropic entities, the Morris and . Cafritz was a tireless promoter of the city. 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. Her hair was still a lacquered black, heavily dressed as always at the back of her head. He too has denied the sons' allegations in his formal answer to their complaint. He was 91 years of age. 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? To one interviewer she said that art was "the theme, you might say" of her life, "as in a Wagnerian opera." "He wasn't overly enthused about it, but those were her wishes, and he sort of enjoyed it in a quiet way. Cafritz was a native and longtime resident of Washington, DC.