Richard Levenberg Obituary (1937 – 2024) – San Francisco, CA

Richard Levenberg
27.04.1937 – 07.07.2024
Richard S. Levenberg
1937 – 2024
Richard S. Levenberg, affectionately known as “Dick,” passed away on July 7, 2024. Dick was a loving husband, father, brother, grandfather, uncle and friend. His legacy is one of love, devotion and passion for life.
Dick was born in Gary, Indiana in 1937, the eldest of four children of Milton and Thelma (Gross) Levenberg. He graduated from Cornell University and later received his law degree from Stanford University Law School, where he served on the Law Review and was a member of the Order of the Coif.
Dick's career has included positions at major corporations such as Great Western United, Shakey's Pizza and Arby's, the State of California and the family-owned American Supply Co. His professional life has been marked by integrity and the pursuit of excellence.
In 1966, Dick married Patricia Booth (Pat) at Temple Emanuel in San Francisco after a chance meeting at the Buena Vista Café. They were married for nearly 58 years, sharing a deep love and a shared joy for life. They moved to Denver in 1970, where they enjoyed the outdoors, skiing, hiking, and making lifelong friends.
The couple moved to Illinois in 1979 to join the family business and raised three children – Josh, Mandy and Wrenn – in Flossmoor. Family was the cornerstone of Dick's life and he cherished the time he spent with his loved ones, especially during Shabbat dinners.
When Dick wasn't playing sports, he was cheering on or coaching his family on the field, and he cheered on his children and eventually his grandchildren at soccer, softball and tennis games.
When he lived in the suburbs and then became a real Chicagoan in 1997, he and Pat tried all the best restaurants, went to movies and museums, saw plays and attended symphony concerts, even in the last weeks of his life. He loved music, especially the former WBEZ radio show Jazz Forum with Dick Buckley and his Benny Goodman and Glenn Miller Band albums.
A loyal Chicago White Sox and Bulls fan his entire life, Dick seamlessly transitioned to cheering for the San Francisco Giants and Warriors after moving to San Francisco in 2014. He was often seen checking the scores on his Apple Watch, even while eating dinner.
Dick was an avid reader and a lifelong learner. He often read more than one book at a time and recommended books for his local library. Whenever he left home, he had a book or newspaper in his hand. After retiring, he took courses at OLLI in Chicago and the FROMM Institute in San Francisco. His intellectual curiosity extended to history, music, and more, enriching his life and that of those around him.
Community service was an important part of Dick's life. He served as president of the Gary Rotary Club, volunteered at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, and was a generous supporter of numerous charities.
He and Pat had a great life together, they loved hosting dinner parties, going out with friends old and new, and although he never wanted to plan the trip, he loved experiencing all of their adventures over the years. He embraced other cultures and loved trying new foods, seeing art from all over the world, and along with Pat, instilled a lifelong love of travel and curiosity in all of their children.
You could please Dick by offering him a Hershey's almond bar, a root beer float, his mother's pea soup, and linguini and clams from Original Joe's. His pastimes included taking walks, watching baseball games, traveling, reading books to his grandchildren, and cheering on the Warriors.
He often said that his greatest accomplishment was raising three wonderful children. Dick is survived by his beloved wife Pat, his children Josh (Verna Kuo), Mandy (Clay McDaniel) and Wrenn (Aaron Andalman), and his eight grandchildren: Alexander, Zoe, Vivi, Stella, Jax, Hazel, Ellery and Levi.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to:
-Jewish Family and Children Services of San Francisco
-The FROMM Institute for Lifelong Learning at the University of San Francisco
-The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library
-Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Chicago

Published by San Francisco Chronicle on July 9, 2024.