the Joseph Levine memorial

The memorial celebration for Dad was wonderfully life affirming. All the speakers gave thoughtful, carefully crafted speeches and collectively recalled most aspects of his life, from his skillful and dedicated parenting to his civic participation to his sense of humor. Below are two of his grandchildren and the venue, Syracuse University’s stately Hendricks Chapel. It was a fitting scene in which to recall a man who was one of the world’s experts on neoclassicism. Since he was highly appreciative of Christian cultures and a great fan of churches, the Methodist origins of the chapel did not concern me in the slightest. Still, I was glad to quote the Hebrew words that must have been spoken over his ancestors for a thousand years or more: Olav HaShalom, may he rest in peace, and may his name be a blessing for all who knew him.

Click to listen to the service.