Maxine Rizik Tanous

BETHESDA, Md. -- Maxine Rizik Tanous, 95, of Bethesda, Maryland, died peacefully of natural causes surrounded by family on Dec. 13, 2023.

Maxine was born in Washington, D.C. on March 28, 1928, to Ayoub and Soraya Rizik. She graduated from Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School and Marymount College, Tarrytown.

The fifth of seven children, Maxine devoted her career to Rizik Brothers, Washington’s upscale women’s fashion boutique founded in 1908 by her father and uncle, who emigrated from Lebanon. Rizik’s catered to first ladies, cabinet secretaries, Supreme Court justices, diplomats, members of Congress, network correspondents, business leaders and area socialites with the finest evening wear, wedding dresses, sportswear fashions and accessories.

Founded during Teddy Roosevelt’s presidency, Rizik’s was profiled in an August 2017 feature story in The Washington Post with Maxine recounting details of the store’s 109 year history. Rizik’s closed in 2021 after 113 years in business.

In 1954, Maxine wed Col. Peter S. Tanous, West Point (1941) of Lawrence, New York, a White House military aide under President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Early in their marriage, they lived in Ft Leavenworth, Kansas, West Point, New York and Bonn, Germany, where Peter was stationed as a military diplomat before settling in Bethesda to raise their three children.

Maxine was a dedicated businesswoman who, along with her sister Renée and brother Michel, regularly visited New York City’s fashion district to discover new and unique designers. Along with her siblings, she oversaw all aspects of Rizik’s business, from merchandising to marketing and back-end operations. The store remained family-owned and operated throughout its 113-year history making it one of the District’s oldest family businesses.

A devout Catholic, Maxine was a long-time member of St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, where she served as a Eucharist Minister. A Washingtonian in every way, she was an avid Commanders fan and a steadfast newspaper and non-fiction reader who enjoyed biographies and history, especially books authored by the celebrated historian David McCullough. She relished socializing at Congressional Country Club and relaxing at her home in the historic town of Irvington, VA, tending her Gardenia trees, picking fresh figs and pruning her flowers.

Maxine is predeceased by her husband Peter and her siblings Madeleine Cury, Denyse Malouf, Michel Rizik, and Jacqueline Rizik. She is survived by her sister Renée Kalil of Bethesda, her brother Philip Rizik of Washington, her son Bruce Tanous (Lori) of McLean, Virginia, her daughters Jacqueline Jacobson (Paul) of Morrison, Colorado and Joan Tanous of Boulder, Colorado along with five grandchildren: Shelby Barton (Tyler) of New York City; Schuyler Tanous of Sydney, Australia; Louis Tanous and Theodore Tanous of Arlington, Virginia; and Ruby Walker of Los Angeles.

Services will be held at St. Bartholomew Catholic Church in Bethesda, Maryland, on Wed., Dec. 20th at 3:00 p.m. Maxine will be buried beside her husband at Arlington National Cemetery at a later date. Following Maxine’s wishes, in lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in the memory of Maxine Tanous to St. Bartholomew Catholic Church, 6900 River Road, Bethesda, Maryland or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.