Barry Levinson

Attorney Barry Levinson passed away on October 14, 2015 in Las Vegas, NV. He died in hospice care, surrounded by family. He was 48. Barry was born in Manhattan, New York on January 18, 1967. He was the only child of Myra (Begleiter) Levinson and Theodore Levinson. When he was two, his family moved to Las Vegas, NV. At 13, he spent a year living with relatives in Israel. He graduated from Valley High School in 1985, while working as a Sous Chef at Caesar’s Palace. Barry was a bassist and songwriter in the local band Blue Ruin, whose songs were featured on many college radio stations. On Friday, May 13, 1988, he met the love of his life, Dana Poncato Levinson, and they were married Christmas Eve later that year. He went on to receive a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice from UNLV (1993). His family, which now included three young children with another baby on the way, moved to Lansing, Michigan, where Barry attended Cooley Law School. After receiving his Juris Doctorate in 1996, he and his family moved back to Las Vegas. Shortly after passing the Nevada State Bar in 1998, he opened up the Law Offices of Barry Levinson. He became known for his very controversial and high profile clients, including former FBI employee James J. Hill and John Bobbitt, among many others. He believed in justice: any person who arrived at his office or called with a legal question was given his time. He was an avid rock collector and spent many a day in the desert with his kids hunting for meteorites with his metal detector. He looked forward to working on his Gemology Degree. He loved sci-fi movies and technology and always dreamed of having the latest gadget. He was even writing his own sci-fi novel. The most excellent cook in his family, and maybe even the entire world, he cooked every holiday meal while imparting his cooking knowledge and family recipes to his children. He hoped to open a restaurant someday. But above all, his true passion was his family. He drove his kids to school, found the time to coach all of their soccer teams, and never missed their sports games or dance recitals. Almost every vacation he took was enjoyed with family. He was kind, generous, and funny. Dana, his wife of 26 years, his four children, Chelsea, Joshua, Elizabeth, and Schuyler, and his dog Lucky survive him. Family and friends are cordially invited to gather and share memories about Barry on Thursday, October 22 from 7pm-9pm. The memorial will be held at Palm Eastern Mortuary, 7600 S Eastern Ave, Las Vegas, NV 89123, followed by a reception at the same location. The family would like to thank Palm Eastern Mortuary for generously making his cremation and service possible, a gift the family will never forget. The family would also like to thank Attorneys E. Brent Bryson and Cal Potter for their hard work and tenacious efforts to save Barry’s life. His wife, Dana, shares a story that she thinks can best sum up his parting words to his friends: "Once while driving with our family, Barry accidentally cut off another driver. The driver furiously honked, flipped us off, and started yelling insults. Barry rolled down the window, calmly smiled at the other driver, and said, 'I’m sorry, my friend. I look forward to meeting you again sometime in the future, hopefully under better circumstances, of course."