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OBITUARY

William J. Cafaro, 84, mall pioneer

William M. Cafaro, a one-time factory worker turned mall pioneer who counted presidents among his friends, died at his desk in Youngstown, Ohio, April 22. He was 84.

Along with the late Edward J. DeBartolo, Mr. Cafaro was a pioneer in the industry, building one of the first enclosed malls, American Mall, at Lima, Ohio, in 1965. He also developed one of the first superregionals, the Eastwood Mall, Niles, Ohio, in the late 1960s.

Mr. Cafaro was active in Democratic Party politics, and no stranger to the Oval Office. President Harry Truman visited him at his Liberty Township, Ohio, estate.

Mr. Cafaro, born May 23, 1913, was one of seven children, and grew up on Youngstown's east side. As a youngster he was a pin setter at a bowling alley and a newspaper carrier. At 17 he went to work in the steel mills, where he became shift foreman. Later, he co-owned, with his father and brother, a bar and supper club that was a local gathering place.

His real estate career began in the 1940s when he purchased property in his hometown, the sale of which provided capital for a car dealership in Warren, Ohio. In 1950 he built two supermarkets for the Cincinnati-based Kroger Co., and this led to the company's first major undertaking, Sharon Towne Center, in Sharon, Ohio. The Cafaro Co., which is based in Youngstown, Ohio, has developed more than 70 commercial properties, amounting to more than 37 million square feet of shopping center space.

Among Mr. Cafaro's charitable endeavors are the Youngstown Osteopathic Hospital, the National Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in North Jackson and the Youngstown Novitiate of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart.

Mr. Cafaro leaves two sons, Anthony M., president of The Cafaro Co., and John J., its executive vice president; a daughter, Flora Cafaro, vice president and assistant treasurer; and seven grandchildren.

The family has requested that any donations honoring Mr. Cafaro be sent to The Cafaro Foundation for educational and other philanthropic projects, c/o The Cafaro Co., P.O. Box 2186, Youngstown, OH 44504-0186.