Renata de Gara Cafiero

Renata was born in Germany to Dr. Paul F. de Gara, an allergist and immunologist, and Ruth (Horstman) de Gara, a nurse. She and her family moved to Milano, Italy in 1934 and emigrated to the United States to escape the Nazi regime in February 1939. She grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City with her best friends all being immigrants from around the world. She attended PS 187 and the High School of Music and Art in New York City, then earned a BA from Bard College and an Occupational Therapy degree from Columbia University. After internships in Schenectady and Buffalo, New York and Washington, DC, Renata returned to New York City, where she met Albert F. Cafiero at a square dance at the Henry Street Settlement House. Renata and Albert married in 1961, and their son Peter Cafiero was born the following year. Shortly thereafter they moved to Bergen County, New Jersey where she lived for the next four and a half decades. After moves to Brooklyn and Manhattan, Renata relocated to Washington, DC in 2019 to be close to her family.

Renata is survived by her son Peter Cafiero and daughter-in-law Karyl of Washington, DC, and granddaughters Louise and Paula of Brooklyn, New York.

Renata loved music and wanted to help children. In light of that, her family requests that donations in her memory can be made to the Levine School of Music for tuition assistance. For those of you who do not know about Levine, it is a non-profit community music school that teaches children and adults of all backgrounds from throughout the DC area, but they have programs targeted for kids who might not ordinarily have the opportunity or even awareness of learning to play an instrument. Levine students would regularly perform at the home that Renata lived in for the past six years.

To donate to the Levine School on line, go to, click: https://www.levinemusic.org/support/donate/ and direct your donation to “Tuition Assistance.”

To donate by check, please send your check to the address below including a note that you would like to designate the gift to First Music through our Tuition Assistance program.

Levine Music

Attention: Development Office

2801 Upton Street Northwest

Washington, DC 20008