Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Daniel Rachefsky, 81, whose dry-cleaning and custom drapery businesses served customers in the Washington area for more than 40 years, died Sept. 29 of
pneumonia and respiratory failure at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park.
Mr. Rachefsky, a second-generation Washingtonian, was drafted into the Army during his senior year at Eastern Senior High School. He arrived in New Guinea
three days before the beach landing at Aitape, New Guinea.
He served 96 days in combat and emerged from the last battle at Ibdi Pocket as one of 12 soldiers from the original 41. In combat for 114 days in the Philippines,
he was one of eight survivors. He participated in the occupation of Hiroshima at the end of the war and was discharged as a staff sergeant in 1945.
After the war, he took over his grandfather's corner market at First Street and Florida Avenue NW, naming it Sunset Market after his Army division.
Mr. Rachefsky opened dry-cleaning businesses on Connecticut Avenue and Rhode Island Avenue in Washington. His businesses were among the first one-hour
martinizing dry-cleaning businesses in the District. He also developed an innovative, non-immersion process that used non-carcinogenic products.
In 1965, Mr. Rachefsky opened Drape-Rite Custom Drapery Cleaning in Hyattsville, which served residential, government and business customers.
He lived in Beltsville and Olney.
Survivors include his wife, Hanh Rachefsky of Olney and Beltsville; and three children, Dana Rachefsky, Rebecca Rachefsky and Carroll Rachefsky, all of Olney;
and two sisters, Marian Sher and Annette Tobin, both of Silver Spring.