John Louis Dreyfuss

John Louis Dreyfuss, 76, sculptor and beloved friend of many, passed away on November 7, 2026, at his home in Washington, D.C. Born on December 28, 1949, in Washington, DC, John’s life was a testament to his passion for sculpture, architecture, the study of form, and the honing of lines and light across surfaces. The cause was complications from Parkinson’s disease which he wouldn’t allow to keep him from his studio.

Over his lifetime Dreyfuss created sculpture drawing from a range of sources, including ancient tools and animal forms to modern armaments and more geometric architectural imagery. He began his career working in bronze which broadened over time to include steel, metals and composite materials developed by the aerospace industry. He leaves behind a rich portfolio of enduring work.

Dreyfuss received a BA in architecture at the University of Pennsylvania in 1972 and studied architecture at the Harvard Graduate School of Design. In 1973 he seized an opportunity to apprentice for sculptor Philip Grausman in Washington Depot, CT, from whom he learned the classical tooling and techniques for casting in bronze. He refined his skills in metal-chasing and mold-making at Tallix Foundry in Beacon, NY.

In 1978, Dreyfuss undertook an extensive restoration of his family-owned property in Georgetown. Overlooking the Potomac River, Halcyon House was built in 1787 by Benjamin Stoddert, the first Secretary of the Navy. Dreyfuss lived in Halcyon House until 2011 having added an extensive sculpture studio under the elegant gardens designed by Pierre L’Enfant, while maintaining the property’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. An active supporter of his community, Dreyfuss served on several boards, including those of the Duke Ellington School of the Arts and the Francis Scott Key Foundation.

As a sculptor, Dreyfuss exhibited and produced numerous public and private commissions in the United States and internationally. Several public installations currently on view include works at The Kreeger Museum, James Monroe Building, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C., the Hunter Museum of American Art in Tennessee, and Georgetown University Qatar.

He is survived by his loving wife Carol, his brother Kenneth, cousins, godchildren, and innumerable friends and was preceded in death by his parents Edmund and Lorraine Dreyfuss.

A memorial service to celebrate John’s life will be held at Washington Hebrew Congregation on November 16 at 10:00 AM. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.