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Articles
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| Hill leader George Didden dies at 62 |
VOICE writes, "By Celeste McCall
Capitol Hill community leader George A. Didden III, chairman and chief executive officer of the National Capital Bank of Washington, died on Dec. 21 in his home in Chevy Chase, Md. of complications from a blood infection. He was 62.
Didden’s funeral Mass was held Thursday morning at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Western Avenue and Quesada Street NW in Chevy Chase D.C. In lieu of flowers, the Didden family is requesting donations to the Capitol Hill Community Foundation, 419 East Capitol St., Washington, D.C. 20003.
“It is a devastating loss for Capitol Hill,” said real estate agent and Hill resident Don Denton. “George was the guy you always sought for solid advice; he was a mentor to a lot of us. … He made a commitment to the community; he exemplified what corporate citizenry should be about. He knew it meant more than just writing checks.”
Hill leaders lauded Didden for being the driving force behind creating the Capitol Hill [Business Improvement and Barracks Row’s revitalization.
“George was a pillar of the community, and he continued a wonderful legacy of leading a bank that is truly part of the neighborhood,” said Martha Huizenga, president of the Capitol Hill Association of Merchants and Professionals, in an e-mail sent to the group’s members."
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An integral CHAMPS supporter over the years, Didden sponsored the Hill’s annual “snowflakes” and hosted the CHAMPS Holiday parties and board meetings. He was instrumental in starting the Capitol Hill Business Improvement District and the Barracks Row Main Street program, serving on both boards. “We are truly thankful for his consistent investments of time, energy, and resources in the Capitol Hill community,” added Huizenga in the e-mail.
Didden’s three brothers, James, Richard and Donald, are officers of the privately owned National Capital Bank, located at 316 Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Founded in 1889, the institution has remained in the family for four generations. Didden was a fourth-generation Washingtonian. In 1995, he succeeded his father, George Didden Jr. as board chairman and chief executive officer.
“George Didden’s work and spirit are a tribute to the city of Washington, and his family and many dedicated friends will miss him,” said James Didden, the bank’s senior vice president. “The overwhelming support from our banking family has been a great source of consolation for the Didden family.”
Didden’s work included lobbying successfully to restore the historic Congressional Cemetery and serving as co-chair and treasurer of the economic revitalization committee of Barracks Row Main Street, which helped transform Eighth Street SE into a vibrant destination with shops and restaurants. He won the Great American Main Street Award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the Herrema Award from the Capitol Hill Community Foundation on behalf of the Barracks Row organization.
For 20 years, Didden served on the board of the Folger Theatre and helped oversee the theater’s transformation into the Shakespeare Theatre at the Lansburgh in downtown D.C.
From 1983 to 1984, Didden served as president of the District of Columbia Bankers Association and, more recently, served on the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution.
An avid bird watcher and lover of nature and animals, he also served two terms as president of Friends of the National Zoo, and he was instrumental in bringing pandas Tian Tian and Mei Xiang from China to the Zoo. A coral reef enthusiast, Didden recently installed a 570-gallon aquarium filled with coral, fish and other marine creatures in the National Capital Bank’s lobby. He also had a smaller aquarium in his office.
Didden graduated from the District’s St. John’s College High School in 1963, and from Boston College in 1967 with a bachelor’s degree in English. He earned his law degree from Catholic University in 1973 and was admitted to the The District of Columbia Bar a year later.
The day before he died, Didden and his wife, Kathyrn Hogan Didden, marked their 38th wedding anniversary. His survivors also include three brothers, his children Damian George Didden, Kathryn Didden, Amanda Edwards, and two grandchildren.
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Posted on Dec 26, 2007 20:35pm.
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