Nathan Landow, a former Maryland Democratic Party chair and prominent local developer and philanthropist, died Dec. 30 at the age of 93 at his Potomac home. He leaves behind a legacy in politics, philanthropy and real estate that shaped Montgomery County and the larger region.

In 1959, Landow founded Landow & Company, a real estate investment and development firm that is still owned and operated by his family. Among the company’s projects: the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, a corporate aviation facility at Washington Dulles International Airport and the Promenade apartments in Bethesda.

His business’s success allowed Landow to become a significant donor to Democratic causes in the early 1970s.

He later decided to take a more active role in state politics and was elected chair of the Maryland Democratic Party in 1988, a role he held until 1992. During his tenure, he led significant fundraising efforts to elect Al Gore as president. In 1992, he chaired the Maryland delegation to the Democratic National Convention.

According to Landow’s online obituary, he was born in Orange, New Jersey, and relocated to the Washington, D.C., area with his family when he was 11. A 1950 graduate of Woodward High School in Rockville, Landow played on the varsity basketball and baseball teams and was voted the “most mischievous” member of his graduating class.

He married Barbara Siegel in 1953, worked at her father’s liquor store and enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. He served three years of active duty, including as an intelligence specialist and a member of the presidential honor guard at Arlington National Cemetery.

When he was politically active, then-President Jimmy Carter appointed him the U.S. alternate representative to the 35th United Nations General Assembly.

Landow also made significant donations to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, which named an atrium on its campus for him.

Landow had a few brief moments in the national spotlight when he was accused of improper campaign finance activities. Congress probed the allegations in 1996, but he was not found to have violated federal law. He was later accused of working with President Bill Clinton to buy silence from people involved in the Whitewater controversy. Landow consistently denied the accusation, which was never substantiated.

While Landow was a proud Democrat, he occasionally crossed party lines and wasn’t afraid to stake out controversial positions within the party. In 2019, he publicly endorsed then-Gov. Larry Hogan for reelection, and contributed more than $50,000 to Hogan’s campaign.

A memorial service for Landow was held at Washington Hebrew Congregation on Jan. 4. The family has asked that donations in lieu of flowers be made to Charles E. Smith Life Communities, a Rockville-based Jewish organization he benefacted. The community’s Landow House assisted living facility was funded in large part by Landow.