An obituary is not available at this time for Calvin Cafritz. He was 91 years of age. 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). His father, one of Washington's leading commercial and residential builders from the early 1920's to the 1960's, distinguished himself as an outstanding civic leader known for generosity. All three stayed in Washington to work at some variation of their father's trade. ", Conrad Cafritz is, in a word fondly used by friends, weird. 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. Rogers had served as her personal attorney since her husband, Washington real estate magnate Morris Cafritz, died in 1964. ", She kept up appearances even in the privacy of her home, where she drank Scotch from a decanter in the living room. Each is in his second marriage; each is in some way involved in the arts. And he still fights his battles with a surprising intensity, rarely bothering with the shake-hands-and-forget-it bonhomie common in Washington business. But of the property over which she had control, Gwendolyn left her children only "such photographs, family mementos, and similar objects of domestic use or ornamentation as my executors, in their absolute discretion, shall determine that I would wish to have preserved for my children.". She carried her isolation to her grave. We will miss his gracious and generous presence.. Influence over the city's future -- no doubt. But he believes her drinking was a source of family discord. She left $25,000 to a favorite former escort, a Brazilian former employee of the Inter-American Development Bank who now lives in Rio de Janeiro. 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. All three sons were rumored to have difficult relationships with their mother, and it was rare to find them together, bearing in unison the family standard. 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 . Another asks the bank to produce "all documents relating to purchase or provision of wine, champagne, or liquor on behalf of or for Gwendolyn Cafritz or for delivery to or consumption at 2301 Foxhall Road. The strange paradox of her marriage was that Morris's money enabled her to carry out her lavish social dreams, while the family's being Jewish also placed limits on her chances of realizing them. The suit was filed by the middle and youngest Cafritz sons, Carter, 53, and Conrad, 51. She could no longer make an entrance, of course. One possible reason for that -- and for any bitterness that might motivate the lawsuit -- is suggested by the suit's underlying argument: "For many years, beginning at a time not precisely known to plaintiffs, but at least by the time of the death of the late Morris Cafritz, the Decedent began suffering from a number of conditions that resulted in physical and mental debilitation," reads the complaint. 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. But its true targets are two longtime advisers who are executors of her estate: Martin Atlas, for decades the closest business associate of both Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz, and William P. Rogers, the former attorney general and secretary of state who was Gwendolyn's personal attorney. 1050 30th St. NW Mr. Cafritz was married previously two times; his first wife was Enid Cafritz and his second wife was Joyce Smith. If she gave them an order, they took it lightly, because she liked to drink. "I used to call up the house and get her maid, and her maid would talk to me about her, and say that she was completely worn out and simply couldn't get up and get herself ready to go on the warpath," says socialite Polly Logan. We welcome you to provide your thoughts and memories on our Tribute Wall. 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. 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. Real estate was more than mortgages and refi nancing in the Cafritzian heyday; it was empire building . Roger was born on September 30, 1952 in Toulon, the son. 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. There are hints too that he has social ambitions on Gwendolyn's scale, if not exactly of her type. Another longtime beneficiary of Cafritz Foundation support has been The Textile Museum. The judge's decision, though in favor of Conrad and Carter Cafritz, is of little. In May, Jane Lipton Cafritz hosted a lunch that brought together a number of young opera singers and many of their supporters and admirers. He was 91. All Rights Reserved. Money -- to be sure. He resigned seven years later to form Cafritz Enterprises. 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. But they also sort of outraged people." 5.8K. Once it was built, he wasn't interested in it.". Would you like to offer Calvin Cafritzs loved ones a condolence message? Then there is the foundation itself, with its powerful endowment for the city. Site design by, D.C. developer and head of the Cafritz Foundation. Carter appears something of a cipher even to old family associates. The entire time, he fought with gloves off, publicly charging his rivals with bad faith. Yet Morris made little impression on Gwendolyn's social world, and she often went out or took vacations alone. 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. Funeral arrangement under the care ofSAGEL BLOOMFIELD DANZANSKY GOLDBERG FUNERAL CARE INC. About - The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation 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. Calvin Cafritz began his career with Cafritz Construction in 1947, pausing briefly to attend college and serve in the military. . Prepare a personalized obituary for someone you loved.. March 29, 1931 - A minor but colorful part of Cafritz's legacy was an idea borrowed from Harry Wardman, his predecessor as the leader of the field. 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. When she drafted her third and last will in 1981, she wrote a final clause that reads almost like an afterthought, but resounds in the lawsuit now underway: "It is my wish that our descendents {sic} shall maintain an interest in the affairs of THE MORRIS AND GWENDOLYN CAFRITZ FOUNDATION and its philanthropic purposes and I desire that, following my death, CALVIN CAFRITZ be elected to serve on the board of the Foundation.". 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. ", 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 particular, he has carried on an epic feud with Herbert S. Miller, chairman of Western Development Corp. Western won a city contract in 1985 to develop the so-called Portals site at the foot of the 14th Street Bridge, potentially the largest commercial development in the city. There are, superficially, great similarities among the three brothers, who all share their mother's dark coloring. But he reached outside that circle when he finally married. Gradually, as Gwendolyn took command of it, its character changed. "Maybe we try a little harder because our family name is well-known," he told a reporter in 1965. "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. The importance of saying "I love you" during COVID-19, Effective ways of dealing with the grieving process, Solutions to show your sympathy safely during the Covid-19 pandemic, SAGEL BLOOMFIELD DANZANSKY GOLDBERG FUNERAL CARE INC. 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. 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. But in the end, her siege of Washington society outlasted most of those limits. You can still show your support by sending flowers directly to the family, or plant a tree in memory of Calvin Cafritz. 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. In July 1993, he was elected President and CEO of the Foundation and in the last six months became Chairman Emeritus. Cafritz was a native and longtime resident of Washington, DC. Then, in 1988, came the announcement that Conrad Cafritz, with Japanese partners, had bought Washington Harbour, the glitzy development below K Street in Georgetown that had been troubled from its opening; the original developer of Washington Harbour was Western. Washington, DC 20006. 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. . ", The Cafritzes slept in separate bedrooms, Morris rising at dawn to get to the office. In the last half-century, the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation has awarded more than $507 million in grants. 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. 2 SONS CONTEST $84 MILLION CAFRITZ WILL - The Washington Post At seated dinners for 22, she entertained ambassadors and justices, senators and Cabinet secretaries. 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. At the least, then, Gwendolyn's will disposes of more than $140 million. Keep supporting great journalism by turning off your ad blocker. Cafritz was a tireless promoter of the city. So he began buying real estate speculatively, and in 1920 opened a real estate office on 15th Street NW. To Martin Atlas, she left $50,000 and a Chagall painting. Morris was a famously frugal man who used to tell friends he couldn't afford to rent office space in the best of his buildings, and his major vanity, beyond lying about his age, appears to have been combing his pomaded hair over a bald spot at the back. For the sons of Gwendolyn Cafritz, to accept her last will and testament would be to allow her, in more than one sense, the last word. [2] He is buried in the Washington Hebrew Congregation Cemetery, Washington, D.C. Philanthropy [ edit] For one thing, he has a dark, avowedly cynical sense of humor. But it has that air of a property just turning past ripeness, toward seed. "He's always very, very protective of the Cafritz name, as if it were his own. 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 2021 alone some 430 grants were given to 413 nonprofits of all sizes, including the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Washington National Opera (through the Cafritz Young Artists of Washington National Opera program), the Phillips Collection, the National Gallery of Art, and countless colleges, universities,and schools throughout the DC area. All of their lives, the Cafritz boys have been aware of their status as the sons of Morris and Gwendolyn. He left it as follows: Half to the Morris and Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation. 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 SONS WIN ESTATE CHALLENGE - The Washington Post . 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. Kateryna Pyatybratova directs the centers Cafritz Awards program. With support from the Cafritz Foundation, the Center for Excellence in Public Leadership hosts a yearly awards gala to honor D.C. government employees who demonstrate outstanding public service.