Lee Daniel Levine, who was 63 years old at the time of his death, passed away in Brooklyn, New York, following a brief bout with illness. He was born in La Porte, Indiana, to his parents, Maurice Levine and Marcia (Daniel) Levine, who passed away before his birth. His son, Isadore “Izzy” Levine, his sister, Joan (Michael) Russell, his nephew, Remy Russell, and his niece, Emma Russell, are among those who are left behind after Lee’s passing. Both his mother and his sister, Sandra, passed away before he did on this earth.
This is the third generation of Levines to graduate from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Lee is the third Levin to accomplish so. Following his graduation from the university with a degree in literature, he was presented with the prestigious Hopwood Award for Writing.
His passion for all sports inspired him to write and publish Bird, The Making of an American Sports Legend in 1988. This book, which chronicled the life of NBA basketball great Larry Bird and the culture of basketball in Indiana, became a best seller during the course of its publication. Both hardback and paperback editions of the book were successful sellers all over the world. It was printed in a half dozen different languages.
After receiving his degree, Lee went on to become an English and literature instructor at a high school. High school teachers in New York, Miami, and New Jersey were among those he worked with. In addition to that, Lee was a college basketball coach and assisted with high school theater plays. Lee established Ideal institution Guidance in 2012, and since then, he has been working one-on-one with students to assist them in locating the institution that best meets their scholastic and professional objectives, as well as their personal preferences. Students who attended Lee’s classes came from all around the United States as well as numerous nations in Europe. In addition to developing genuine relationships with students and their families, he was a man who cherished his profession and excelled at it.
As a doting father, he would do whatever in his power to provide Izzy with every opportunity that was available to her. Lee and Izzy took full use of the myriad of opportunities and the lively atmosphere that New York City had to offer, participating in activities such as Izzy’s martial arts endeavors at nationally competitive levels with Lee.
In addition to attending sporting events, particularly tennis matches, exploring toy and bookstores, and riding and learning practically every station and line of the New York Subway System, the father and son took pleasure in the vast selection of diverse foods and music.
Lee was a member of the debate and tennis teams at La Porte High School, where he achieved a great deal of success. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that he was an exceptionally good conversationalist who was enthusiastic about anything cerebral. The modern literary scene, politics, music, and all sports were all activities that he followed with a great interest. Lee’s many close and devoted friends, with whom he maintained frequent communication over the course of many years despite the enormous distance between them, will miss him terribly.
At two o’clock in the afternoon on April, 9, 2024, there will be a Celebration of Life Memorial Service held at the Cutler Funeral Home, which is located at 2900 Monroe Street in La Porte. Please visit www.cutlercares.com beginning fifteen minutes before the service to see the live feed of the service. This will allow you to view the service online. On Sunday, the funeral home will be open for visitation beginning at one o’clock in the afternoon and continuing until the start of the service. Next, there will be a private interment.
