Robert Levin '68

Robert (Bob/Bear) David Levin ’68 passed away in his San Francisco home on July 5, at the age of 75, following a diagnosis of metastatic lung cancer last October.

Born in Baltimore in 1946 to Harry and Rivie Levin, Bob was older brother to Robin. The family moved to the Los Angeles area in 1957; Levin would live most of his life in California. An exceptional student, he earned a Ph.D. in operations research from UC Berkeley after earning his bachelor's degree in mathermatics.

“He never let his intelligence go to his head, however,” Levin’s family wrote in his obituary, “and was always approachable and kind.”

After completing his doctorate, Levin worked as an economic analyst, first, for thirty years, at the energy company PG&E, then for another decade at the California Public Utilities Commission. After retiring, he worked as a consultant. He was heavily focused upon reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and encouraging the use of renewable energy resources.

On July 4, 1977, Levin married medical student Elise Rosen, who, as Dr. Rosen-Levin, would go on to a career as a pathologist and nuclear medicine specialist. They had two brilliant and accomplished daughters; the elder, Janna, became a lawyer who works in public interest law defending people against eviction. The younger, Suzanne, achieved a doctorate in French history and now works as a research fellow in Naples, Italy, passing her time between there and Paris, France.

Levin lived life to the fullest. He loved to travel and visited much of the United States and many European countries, as well as traveling to Australia twice. A devotee of baroque and classical music, he loved to go to concerts, operas and the occasional play, he loved hiking and bicycling in the outdoors and watching sunsets on the beach. He enjoyed going to restaurants and eating good food. Never one for small talk, Levin’s intellectual curiosity and logical mind shone through when he spoke on any number of subjects that interested him, from his work and travel to politics and history.

Family and close friends were always very important to Levin, who liked to show how much he cared through gestures great and small. He always made sure to take his daughters to visit their grandparents and Elise’s brother Rabbi Seth when they were alive, and thereafter to see Elise’s younger sister and her husband in New York, his daughters’ Aunt Alex and Uncle Brandon. Nanny Bev was always there to keep the family unit running smoothly, whether at home or on family road trips and even after she retired after over 25 years, Levin would continue to include her in family activities.

Levin remained close to his sister Robin and her daughter, his niece Liana. In recent years the whole family liked to visit with Liana, her husband Matt and their two boys, Bob’s grandnephews, Isaac and Levi. From caring for his sister when she had Hodgkin’s disease in her early twenties or helping to support and regularly visiting his elderly aunt, to simply getting up early to bring home bagels or donuts for everyone on the weekend, Levin could be depended upon.

Levin was described as a fun and loving husband, a patient and supportive father, a devoted and caring brother, a dutiful son, a kind and reliable uncle, and a thoughtful and generous friend. He is survived by his wife, Elise; daughter Janna and her husband, Matt, of New York City; daughter Suzanne and her fiancé, Pierre-Antoine, of Paris, France; sister, Robin, of San Francisco; and niece, Liana, of Livermore. For those wishing to honor Levin’s life, his family suggests donations to Earthjustice, HIAS or similar organizations.