Neil Bernard Levitt

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Neil Bernard Levitt, 82, of Weston, Massachusetts on August 1, 2025. Neil was a loving father and grandfather, respected architect and a devoted citizen of the Town of Weston.

Born on May 21st, 1943 in Minneapolis, Minnesota to Samuel Levitt and Anne Blindman Levitt, his family moved when Neil was eleven to Jonesboro, Arkansas. In high school, Neil played bass clarinet in the band and marching band. Neil also designed and built floats for the school parades. This led to a lifelong engagement with design and building and led him to Washington University in St. Louis where he earned both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Architecture.

After working as an architectural intern in Edinburgh, Scotland, Neil settled in the Boston area. His projects included work in historic preservation, transportation and education design. Highlights include creating design standards for the Central Artery Tunnel in Boston, MA; the renovation of the landmark old Burberry’s building at 2 Newbury Street in Back Bay, Boston, MA as well as a much beloved residence for his in-laws in Vermont. Additionally, for over a decade Neil was a devoted instructor, thesis adviser and lecturer at the Boston Architectural Center.

Neil married Harris Margaret Lipshutz in 1980. They had two children, Emma and Jesse and resided in Arlington, Malden and later Weston, Massachusetts. Although divorced they maintained a lifelong friendship.

Neil enjoyed classical music, fine art and was serious about public radio. He read voraciously and was a longtime member of several book clubs through the Weston Public Library as well as his temple, Congregation Beth El of the Sudbury River Valley, where Neil was a regular attendee of Torah study and minyan. Neil was committed to the Town of Weston, where he held appointments on the town’s Community Preservation Committee and Building Committee, regularly attended Town Meeting, and was elected to be ‘Measurer of Lumber’ twice.

Neil was preceded in death by his father Samuel Levitt and his mother Anne Blindman Levitt and is survived by his sister Raleigh (Barry) Seliger, former wife, Harris Levitt and children Emma (Kenneth) Royer and Jesse (Melissa) Levitt. He will be greatly missed by four adoring granddaughters: Fiora, Annabelle, Eleanor and Ophelia.

Please join his family for a service in Neil’s memory at Congregation Beth El, 105 Hudson Road, Sudbury, on Thursday, August 7th, 2025 at 10:30 AM. Mourners will proceed to a committal burial at the Linwood Cemetery, 180 Boston Post Road Bypass, Weston, before returning to the temple in Sudbury for a meal of commemoration. A livestream of the service will be available with the link below. The family invites you to join in sitting Shiva on Friday at 10:30am, a Memorial Gathering on Saturday from 5-7pm, and Shiva on Sunday starting 11:00am at the home of a close family friend. The driveway will be available for pick up and drop-off only. Please park nearby on Lantern Lane. Assistance will be available for individuals needing help moving their vehicle to Lantern Lane as needed.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Neil’s memory to his local public radio stations WBUR (News) at https://donate.wbur.org/ and WGBH (Arts & Culture) at https://donate.wgbh.org/wgbh/donate.