Gary Paul Levon

Gary Paul Levon, 76, son of the late Edward Topousian Levon and Ann “Tina” Hughes Levon of Whitestone, New York, died on Monday, August 28, 2023. Mr. Levon, who started his career as a French teacher in Philadelphia and who later spent 14 years as a member of the Tactical Unit in the Baltimore City Police Department, pursued a nursing career and for the last two decades of his life and worked as a registered nurse in both Pennsylvania and Delaware. As a nurse, he focused on a medical-surgical specialty and intensive care unit..

“He always made his coworkers smile, and a few people always came to our unit just to hear his stories about being a cop,” said Katie Baker, a colleague at Meadowood Behavioral Health Hospital in New Castle, DE. “He had a good heart and was kind. He always opened the door for people, took time to listen to patients, and tried to help. He was a kind soul,” she said in a text.

When not working, Mr. Levon enjoyed cooking and volunteering for cat rescue organizations. His love for animals was such that he even sponsored a cougar named Tweetie at an exotic animal sanctuary in Gettysburg and for years dedicated himself to its care, bringing the animal large chunks of choice beef cuts. About Tweetie, he said, “How many people can say they slept with a four-legged cougar?”

Among family and friends, Mr. Levon became well-known for his culinary skills with specialty dishes such as Hungarian Goulash, Burgandy-infused beef roast, and Armenian dishes such as baclava, rice pilaf, and meat pies, dishes he learned to cook from his paternal grandmother, the late Irene Topousian. His father’s family had escaped the Armenian genocide and when they arrived to the US, his father changed his surname from Topousian to his father’s first name, Levon. Mr. Levon liked to quip that his name spelled “novel” backwards. During his career in law enforcement in Baltimore, Mr. Levon did a short stint in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant, where he peeled shrimp, washed pots, and learned some behind-the-scenes culinary tricks and skills, and later served his friends delicious meals.

“Gary was quite opinionated, but also passionate and loyal,” said longtime friend Randy Villaneuva of Chester Springs, Pa.

A history buff, Mr. Levon read and maintained an extensive library about World War II, military strategies and battles and possessed a copious knowledge of military field activities and the inner workings of an array of weapons, including historical knives and guns. He learned how to smith and repair guns and make an array of bullets of a variety of calibers by hand with precision.

Mr. Levon was twice married. A graduate of Pennsylvania Military College, now known as Widener University where he earned a bachelor’s degree, Mr. Levon returned to school, earning a nursing degree from York College and spent the rest of his life working as a registered nurse, rising to supervisory level. A congregant at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Kennett Square, Pa., he is survived by four children, Richard I. Levon, Erin “Liz” Levon, Antoinette M. Levon, and Carmella Levon and also by three grandsons, Angelo V. Levon, Sterling H. Levon, and Kelly J. Kofmann.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Brandywine Valley SPCA https://bvspca.org/donate/honor-a-life