Richard Edwin Levy

Richard E. Levy, 72, died on April 20, 2021. Inseparable from his wife Ellie for almost fifty years, he will be remembered by many as: entrepreneur, professor, Italophile, embarrassingly proud father and grandfather, bakery connoisseur, expert griller of meats, intensely loyal friend. We will think of his big laugh, his sarcasm, and his hilarious, mostly true stories as we raise a glass to him. He was impossibly generous, unfailingly honest, and larger than life in everything he did. He delighted in surprising his family (especially Ellie) – bringing home everything from farm fresh tomatoes to new cars to a wriggly Black Lab puppy – and infuriating his friends when they tried to pick up a check. His happiest moments were spent on the ocean, for many years at Poipu Beach in Hawaii and later while cruising on the Queen Mary 2. His wife Ellie, children Sara (Chris Miller) and Danny (Lauren Anker), grandchild Joey, step-grandchildren Alina and Owen, mother Carolyn, and brother David will miss him beyond measure. They will tell stories about him hacking the communications systems at Disney World, refusing to ever turn up the heat, sniffing out barbecue in Champaign, IL, accidentally leading a car parade of tourists through the walled city of San Gimignano, and polishing off half a dozen potato pancakes before they even hit the table. They know you likely have your own Richard stories, and encourage you to tell them loudly, with gusto and plenty of wine or Scotch on hand. We know that somewhere, he’s doing the same with his best friend and dad, the late Lou Levy (better known to his family as Pere). Should you wish to remember Richard in some way, his family requests memorial contributions be made to the food bank of your choice. And get vaccinated!