Morgan Levy

January 9, 1924 – March 8, 2023

Miami, FL - Morgan Levy passed away peacefully at his home on March 8th, 2023. He was part of the “Greatest Generation,” those shaped by the Great Depression and World War II. And his life history bears that stamp.

Born in Washington DC in 1924, he moved to Miami in 1928. At the age of 13 his father died. As the only son in the family his mother informed him that he was now the man of the family. He attended Miami High, rising at 4 a.m. to deliver newspapers for the Miami Herald. He would trade newspapers for a breakfast of milk and pies, consumed while folding papers to deliver on his bicycle. That diligent work ethic would remain consistent throughout his life.

Morgan enlisted in the Navy and served for 5 years in World War II. He then attended the University of Colorado and received a degree in civil engineering. His mother fell ill, and he was called to help operate Camp Wohelo, a summer camp for girls that she founded in 1929 at the age of 31 in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Pennsylvania. Morgan became Camp Director and remained in the summer camping business. In 1962 he built Camp Comet, the first “Space Age Camp” for boys during the fervor of the space race, offering a unique blend of science, athletics, and arts, which included a lunar space flight simulator and command center. It was so successful he built a second camp for senior boys in 1972, Comet Trails. He accomplished his goals of promoting friendship, integrity, and love for nature, and exerting a positive, enriching and lasting influence on the lives of campers as shown by the outpouring of moving posts on the Camps’ Alumni Facebook pages. It is clear he lives on in the hearts and minds of the thousands of campers he touched.

Morgan sold the camps in 1986 and retired to West Dade. While taking an evening stroll on a late October evening he noticed a foul odor in the air and determined it was emanating from the Dade County Landfill. He petitioned and gained approval for scrubbers to be placed on the incinerator to improve air quality. Thus began his second and third careers, as an environmental and political activist, devoting himself to community service.

He formed the West Dade Federation of Homeowners Association in 1986 and served as president for 17 years. As a community activist, Morgan was most proud of the successful clashes he led-and victories he subsequently scored -with developers over appropriate density matters for housing and roads. A passionate crusader with a vision for establishing a city in the Doral Country Club area, Morgan led the incorporation movement. After a seven-year battle, the City of Doral became a reality in 2003, and was subsequently named the Best City in Florida for Business Start-ups by BusinessWeek among other accolades. In 2009, the Doral City Council voted to name a 10-acre park in his honor, where his legacy lives.

In addition to modifying the incinerator towers with scrubbers, Morgan contributed as an environmental activist in many ways. He was the only civilian to serve on the Dade County Solid Waste Citizens Task Force. He fought Dade County on expanding landfills and offered sensible alternatives but often they did not adequately fill the coffers of politicians making the decisions and thus were thwarted.

In 1992 Hurricane Andrew devastated south Florida. Burning of debris was a concern and Morgan teamed with the South Dade Soil Water and Conservation District to successfully obtain a grant from FEMA to grind up the debris into mulch and deliver it to farmers in South Dade. He was subsequently asked to become the administrator and remained so until his retirement at age 91. During this period, he implemented the COW and FROG projects, and sold in-vessel aerobic composters that produced Grade A fertilizer from organic waste. Zoo Miami utilizes one. You can purchase some “Zoo Doo” there if you wish!

Each year on Arbor Day he would visit schools in Doral providing hundreds of trees to be planted by 4th graders. He would also visit primary schools throughout the academic year promulgating the importance of nature, protecting our planet, and recycling.

Morgan Levy was an extraordinary man full of alacrity for life, had a wonderful sense of humor and always made people feel at home and welcome, regardless of circumstance. He was a captivating storyteller and regaled until the last 2 weeks of his life. Even though he would wear a shirt inscribed with “It’s hard to be humble when you are as great as I am”, he always credited others for his many successes. Whether directing an authentic Indian chant for events at Camp Wohelo or fighting City Hall, he was a great leader, always demonstrating the courage to follow his convictions, regardless of whether the world around him was aligned or not.

He is pre-deceased by his beloved wife of 67 years, Kev, and survived by his children Jay Levy, MD (Kerry McCarthy) and Bari Sue Levy, grandchildren Haley and Easton, niece Leslie Shor, and nephews Richard Shor (Ilene) and Bruce Rosenberg.

A Celebration of Life event will take place on Saturday April 8th at 4 PM and broadcast via Zoom. A link will be posted on the Lakeside Memorial website to join. In lieu of flowers please consider contributing to the following organizations as he loved nature, and always espoused that children are our future:

American Camp Association https://www.acacamps.org/donate/send-a-child-camp-fund

National Forest Foundation https://www.nationalforests.org/get-involved/ways-to-give

Environmental Defense Fund https://def.org

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Lakesidempfuneralhome.com for the Levy family.