Lillian C. Levine, 97, passed away peacefully in Hershey, Pennsylvania one day shy of her 98th birthday. Lillian was born on November 11, 1924, to David Cohen and Pauline (Gollub) Cohen in Fall River, Massachusetts.
Of Lillian’s many admirable attributes, which are too many to list, perhaps her most defining one was her tenacity. She was tenacious on behalf of herself at a time when seeking an education and profession as a woman was challenging beyond belief. Lillian attended Boston University, studying tirelessly through summers and winters while still working at her parents’ grocery store in Brockton.
She graduated from Boston University Law School in 1947, magna cum laude and Editor-in-Chief of the Boston University Law Review. As one of few female lawyers, she fought her way through prejudice and scorn to work in the courtrooms of Boston. She later showed the same tenacity on behalf of her clients when, with her brother Bernie, she was one of the first lawyers to pursue asbestos litigation in the 1970s, a true pioneer in the field. Without Lillian’s ability to painstakingly track down asbestos manufacturers and, bit-by-bit, establish the connection between asbestos exposure and cancer, many dockworkers in Quincy and their families would never have found justice.
In addition to her countless accomplishments as a lawyer, her loved ones will always remember how tenacious Lillian was on behalf of anyone in her family. Whatever her family needed – be it support to achieve our goals, the “lawyer voice” she had honed for years in the courtroom, or the boundless wisdom and lessons she could teach – everyone knew that Lillian was always there. Our family is immeasurably saddened to be without her, but immeasurably grateful for everything we gained from her remarkable life.
Lillian is predeceased by her parents, her siblings Ethel (Cohen) Leventhal and Bernard Cohen, and her beloved husband Melvin Levine. She is survived by her children Rachel Levine and Barbara Kravetz; her grandchildren Pamela Kravetz, Deanna Kravetz, David Levine, and Dayna Levine; and her great-grandson Parker.
Funeral services will be held Monday, November 14th at 11:00 am at Stanetsky Memorial Chapel, 475 Washington Street, Canton, MA, followed by interment at Sharon Memorial Park.
Celebration of life will be held at the home of Rick and Bonnie Kravetz following interment. The family will be sitting shiva and welcoming visitors on Tuesday, November 15th also at Rick and Bonnie’s home from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
In lieu of flowers, donations are encouraged to the Penn State College of Medicine or American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
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