Levi Vance

Levi was born on February 27, 1928,​ in Mishawaka Indiana and was one of 17 children.  His dad, Levi Sr., was previously married and had 8 children. Levi Sr.’s first wife died and he then married Bernice Levine, Levi’s mother. Together they had 9 children. Levi was the oldest and named after his dad. Levi grew up in rural Indiana on a farm where he milked cows, picked berries, and earned money to buy his own clothes and pay his own way in life. When he was 17 Levi joined the Navy and began his 20 year career​ as a hospital corpsman, including service in Korea. He met his wife,  Dorothy Rudlaff, at a dance in Michigan and married soon after, on May 4th 1951. His navy career took them to Hawaii, 29 Palms, and San Diego. After he retired from the Navy he worked as an x-ray repairman.  H​e later ​took a job working as a grounds keeper for the Chula Vista Elementary School District.  He often said it was the best job he ever had. Levi loved working with his hands and collected a vast assortment of tools.  After his second retirement he spent a couple of years converting a passenger bus into an RV.  He and his wife Dorothy made several trips across the country in the bus before his health forced him to park it.  Levi was proud of the work he had done on the bus and would often talk about it at family gatherings. On Saturday afternoon, March 3rd, Levi’s earthly job was completed. He took his place in Heaven beside his wife Dorothy and they are happily spending their eternity together. ​He was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy.  Loved by kids, Karen (Vance) Robinson and Douglas Vance; son-in-law, Conley Robinson; grandkids Jennifer Robinson,  Deborah (Robinson) and husband Matthew Messmer, and Jessica (Robinson) and husband Matthew Preece; 3 great-grandkids, Scarlette and Christine Messmer, and Levi Preece; siblings Clifford and Bonnie Vance, Claudia (Vance) Metozian, and Barbara (Vance) Harrison; and sister-in-law Eleanor (Rudlaff) Hoge. Interment will be at Glen Abbey in Bonita, CA. Services will be held Monday, March 12. Viewing will be at 10:30 AM and the funeral at 12:00 PM at the Chapel of Roses.

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