Alan B. Levy

Alan Bernard Levy was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania on February 17, 1938, to Joan and Howard Levy. Howard operated the B. Levy Estate, which provided oil equipment to the burgeoning oil business, Titusville having been the site of the first oil well. Alan was the eldest of three, including his sister, Leslie, and his brother, Jon.

Alan attended Princeton University as an undergraduate, majoring in music and finding the all-male and anti-Semitic atmosphere to be more than a little oppressive. He then attended medical school at Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, where he also enjoyed poetry from the Beat Generation authors.

Alan met his wife, Mary Ann, during their residency in psychiatry in Cincinnati. After marrying, Alan and Mary Ann moved to San Antonio, Texas, where Alan served as a major in the Air Force and where they had their first son, Evan.

The family moved to Denver to start their careers, where their son, Glenn, was born. Alan’s practice began at Fort Logan, one of the state hospitals providing care for the mentally ill. Alan then ventured into private practice and helped develop and then head the Psychiatric unit at St. Anthony’s Hospital for more then fifteen years. Thereafter, Alan returned to Fort Logan, now called the Colorado Mental Health Institute at Fort Logan, for the remainder of his career.

A musician of considerable talent, Alan enjoyed all music and entertaining at parties, but he was especially fond of dixieland jazz, opera, and playing the piano when others played instruments alongside. He loved his work with the patients and staff of Fort Logan, spent decades documenting his family in scrapbooks and photo albums, and most of all loved to travel with Mary Ann and spend time with his family, including his daughter-in-law, Debbie, and his grandchildren Alex and Courtney. He was a lover of social causes and a bearer of many strong opinions. Alan was a kind but feisty person.

Alan died on October 21, 2011, after an heroic battle with pancreatic cancer. He was a wonderful human being, psychiatrist, father, grandfather, and husband. He is survived by his wife, his brother, his sister, two sons, his daughter-in-law, two grandchildren, and his Afghan hound.

The family is having a private funeral on Tuesday in Golden. However, on Monday, October 24, from 4-7 p.m. there will be an open viewing of the casket, and all are welcome to come by and pay their respects. The viewing will be at Olinger Woods Chapel in downtown Golden, 1100 Washington Avenue (tel: 303-279-4575). In addition, the family will be organizing a wake/celebration of Alan’s life in late 2011 or early 2012 so that all who knew him can come together and share their memories.

The family is asking in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Volunteer Services Department of Fort Logan in his memory, whether to the indigent client fund, Team 5, or the Volunteer Services Department. Donations may be sent to:

Volunteer Services Department

Attn: Melissa Munder

CMHIFL

3520 W. Oxford Ave.

Denver, CO 80236

303-866-7599

[email protected]

Arrangements under the direction of Olinger Woods Chapel, Golden, CO.