Aaron M Levine

Aaron M. Levine (Buzzy) of Washington, D.C., passed away on January 3, 2023, at the age of 88. He was born in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, and it was there that he met the love of his life, Barbara Lieberman, when at 17 his family moved onto the same floor of her apartment building on Bushwick Avenue. They remained together ever since. When Barbara left for Skidmore, he joined the U.S. Army. With Armistice Day of the Korean War declared on the day he deployed, Buzzy spent his service in Japan and rose the ranks to runner-up tennis champion U.S. Forces Japan. He also worked as a court reporter and there nurtured his love of writing, language, and potable, manual typewriters.

Buzzy returned from the army, graduated Brooklyn College, and in 1958, he and his bride Barbara moved to Washington, D.C., so that he could attend George Washington University Law School. Though he had physically left Brooklyn, he remained a Brooklyn boy his entire life. In 1967, he founded his own law practice, Aaron M. Levine and Associates. He relished his career as a plaintiff’s lawyer in the area of products liability, primarily focused on women’s health. With brilliance, chutzpah, and skill, he represented victims of defective medical devices, including most notably the Dalkon Shield and DES. Recognized as a trail-blazing and fierce defender of women’s health, Aaron was instrumental in securing compensation for victims and effecting the removal of dangerous products from the market.

Cerebral, irreverent, provocative, and witty, Buzzy developed passions well beyond the law. He and Barbara traveled often and extensively throughout Europe and compiled a world-class assemblage of contemporary art; their purchases driven by a love for each individual work. Conceptual art held the most intrigue for Buzzy as he encouraged guests to enjoy and challenge the meaning of the art in their home. Buzzy was a devotee of Marcel Duchamp and the couple’s significant collection of Duchamp’s works has been gifted to the Hirschhorn Museum. An insatiable reader about World War II and philosophers of the early 20th Century, he also stocked his bookshelves with art criticism, Robert Frost poetry, and Gershwin songbooks. He loved classical and jazz music, playing piano, off-color jokes, quips intended to get a rise, and laughing with family and friends.

Buzzy and Barbara’s 64-year marriage was full of love, togetherness, and a healthy dose of differing opinions. His greatest source of pride and joy were his children and grandchildren: he relished working with his eldest son Brandon in his law firm; consulting with his son Andrew, a doctor, to better understand the medical intricacies of litigation; and debating with his daughter Jennifer, a lawyer, over any esoteric topic he raised. He was an adoring grandfather of Zach, Mollie, Clara, Sadie, and George and sought to advise, amuse, and shock them in equal measure.

His life was rich with joy, antics, and friendships. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his three children, Brandon, Andrew, and Jennifer (Jeff Aeder), and five grandchildren, Zach Levine, Mollie Aeder, Clara Aeder, Sadie Aeder, and George Aeder.

There will be a private celebration of life for close family and friends.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Aaron's memory to the Hirshhorn Museum (hirshhorn.si.edu) in Washington, D.C., or Wolcott College Prep in Chicago (wolcottcollegeprep.org).