By Southwester Staff
Longtime Southwest resident Irv Gamza died on June 9, 2022 at the age of 97. Born in Pinsk, Poland, Gamza emigrated with his family to the United States in 1929.
After growing up in New York City and attending City College of New York, Gamza served honorably in the U.S. Army Air Corps in World War II. He moved to Washington in the early 1950’s, where we worked in the Office of the Secretary at the Department of Defense.
Gamza was a resident of what was then known as Carrollsburg Apartments beginning in the late 1960’s, and became an original unit owner at Carrollsburg, A Condominium in 1980.
An active volunteer with the Metropolitan Police Department First Police District for many years, Gamza participated in Orange Hat and citizen walks, holiday children’s party and school fundraising, monthly Police Service Area meetings, nominations and screening for police officer awards, and the monthly First Police District Citizens Advisory Council with the First District Commanders. He was also an original member of Fourth Street Neighborhood Group, a collaborative group of condo and coop leadership.
Irv Gamza felt a calling to be an exemplary citizen and do everything he could to make Southwest a safer and better place for all its residents, many of whom became his unofficial family. He will be missed by many.