Nationals mourn the loss of founding managing principal owner Theodore N. Lerner

It is with great sadness that the Washington Nationals today announce the passing of Founding Managing Principal Owner, Theodore N. Lerner.

Mr. Lerner is survived by his beloved wife of 71 years, Annette Morris Lerner; his children Mark D. Lerner (Judy) and Debra Lerner Cohen (Edward) of Washington, D.C., and Marla Lerner Tanenbaum (Robert) of Bethesda, Maryland; his nine grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

From his humble beginnings as an usher in Washington D.C.’s old Griffith Stadium, to the ushering in of a new era of championship baseball in his hometown, Mr. Lerner literally and figuratively built a legacy through his signature mix of tenacity and humility. Guided by love for his family and passion for his hometown, Mr. Lerner dedicated his life to the creation of a better city and a winning ball club.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Lerner was a graduate of the George Washington University and had a law degree from the George Washington University National Law Center. In 1952, he founded Lerner Enterprises, which went on to become one of the largest private real estate development companies in the D.C. area. Mr. Lerner was named Managing Principal Owner of the Washington Nationals on May 3, 2006, and worked tirelessly from that day forward to build a world-class baseball team in his beloved Washington, D.C. He created the framework that brought the 2019 World Series to the nation’s capital, and the championship ball club he helped create stands as a reminder of the love he had for this great game and the passion he had for giving back to his hometown.

In addition to his many accomplishments in business and in sports, Mr. Lerner championed the creation of opportunities for all residents of the region and was instrumental in the foundation of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy, which provides year-round programming and resources in one of the city’s most underserved neighborhoods. Mr. Lerner led by example through his family’s own private philanthropy and set the tone for the ball club’s company-wide culture of giving, which still extends into the clubhouse, front office and in the stands. He was honored with the Washington Nationals Philanthropies “Power of Baseball Award” in 2022 in recognition of the many ways he’s improved the city of Washington, D.C. and the lives of its residents. 

A founding member of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Mr. Lerner was awarded the Golden Plate Award of Excellence from the American Academy of Achievement in 1990. He was a member of the Washington Business Hall of Fame (2003), The George Washington University School of Business Sports Executives Hall of Fame (2007), Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington Sports Hall of Fame (2007) and Washington D.C. Sports Hall of Fame (2014). He received the Thomas G. Corcoran Award by the University Club of D.C in 2014, and in 2015 was awarded the Urban Land Institute Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2018, The Lerner · Cohen · Tanenbaum family received the Pollin Humanitarian Award from the Bender Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington.