It's a wonderful life revisited: George Didden III, Rest in Peace

George Didden III, from the National Capital Bank website.

Within the past few weeks I watched the classic Christmastime movie, "It's a Wonderful Life (1946)," featuring Jimmy Stewart as a small town savings and loan/building association executive who needs to raise money fast to prevent bankruptcy (his absent-minded uncle lost the money). You know the story, he wants to die and his guardian angel shows him how the town would be without him.

Morgan called my attention to the death of George Didden III, last Friday. I have been traveling and he knew I'd not likely seen the death notice in the Washington Post.

Mr. Didden was the Chairman of the National Capital Bank, one of the few true neighborhood-based community banks in DC, a bank that is over 100 years old, with two branches, one on Pennsylvania Avenue SE, and one in Friendship Heights, with some ATMs around the city (they used to have a branch East of the River at one point).

He was the leader of the Capitol Hill BID, bringing the BID from a concept to an approved and implemented project that has made a great deal of difference to the cleanliness and safety of Capitol Hill.

He was one of the founders and leaders of the successful Barracks Row Main Street program, which was designated as a "Great American Main Street" in 2005.

He did a lot more that I don't know about. One thing I do is that while very very skeptical, he approved a loan to Bruce and Adele Robey to buy a building and open within it the H Street Playhouse, a couple years ahead of the burgeoning interest in that corridor.

H Street Playhouse, photo by Elise Bernard.

Jane Jacobs has a section in Death and Life about the positive impact of a community bank in a neighborhood that had otherwise been redlined by the bigger, more traditional banks.

National Capital Bank is a traditional bank. It has conservative lending policies. On the other hand, it is still extant while many other banks have been closed or consolidated. And there is no question that this bank and its personnel continue to make incredible contributions to Greater Capitol Hill and to the city at large.

Thank you George Didden.

From the Post obituary:

DIDDEN GEORGE A. DIDDEN, III On Friday, December 21, 2007, at his residence in Chevy Chase, MD. Beloved husband of Kathryn Hogan Didden; devoted father of Damian George Didden (Ann), Kathryn E. Didden and Amanda Didden Edwards (Mark); brother of Dorothee Riederer, James, Richard and Donald Didden; grandfather of Clare and Caroline Didden. Friends may call on Wednesday, December 26, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at The Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Western Ave at Quesada St. N.W., where Mass of Christian Burial will be offered on Thursday, December 27 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Capitol Hill Community Foundation, 419 East Capitol St. S.E., Washington, DC 20003. Arrangements by DeVOL FUNERAL HOME.