Lawrence Levine
August 31, 1925 - November 17, 2025

Lawrence (Larry) Levine, who celebrated his 100th birthday August 31, 2025, passed away November 17, 2025.

Larry, a man of few words, was a man of decisive action. Brave and tenacious, he was his family's anchor, a loyal friend, and a dedicated contributor to his community, providing support without judgement.

Survived by his loving children: Barbara Levine-Ritterman (Robin) of New Haven, CT, Harry Levine (Roberta Mintz) of Pittsburgh, PA, and Richard Levine (Leslie) of Pittsburgh; eight grandchildren: Alex Levine (Yvette Levine) of Pittsburgh, Sophia Levine of Hollywood, CA, Peter Levine of West Hollywood, CA, Casia Levine of East Hollywood, CA; CeeJay Levine of Morristown, VT, Lizz Levine Welhouse (Matt) of Waterford, MI; Maya Levine-Ritterman of Boston, MA, and Joshua Levine-Ritterman of New Haven, CT; and great-grandson, Kai James Levine Welhouse; his brother, Stanley (Patty) Levine, and many cousins, nieces and nephews. His beloved wife of 72 years, Claire Berland Levine, passed away in 2022.

Larry was born and raised in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood of Pittsburgh and graduated from Taylor Allderdice High School. His studies at Carnegie Tech were interrupted by WWII; he was drafted into the Army January 11, 1944. A year later, he was wounded behind German lines during the battles of the Colmar Pocket in Alsace, France. Larry made his way back to safety and was awarded a Purple Heart.

Upon his return to Pittsburgh, Larry continued engineering studies at Carnegie Tech. When his father, the late Harry Levine, developed Hodgkin's disease, Larry left Carnegie Tech to join the family business, Levine Bros. Hardware, in Homestead, PA. When his father passed away in 1952, he became a partner with his brother Stanley Levine, operating the business for more than 50 years. Larry and Stanley also managed their family's real estate holdings and collaborated with their cousins in developing the Duquesne Village Shopping Center in West Mifflin.

Larry was community oriented, serving in major roles with the Rotary Club, Steel Valley Arts Council, the Homestead Chapter of the National Association for Colored People, and the Homestead Economic Revitalization Committee. He was a founding member of Temple David in Monroeville.

Larry and Claire were politically engaged, participating in marches in support of civil rights and against the war in Vietnam. They were supporters of Planned Parenthood and the ACLU, among many other causes, and gave generously to many charitable and political entities. The couple enjoyed traveling, often with close friends, and visited Alaska, the Amazon, Antarctica, Israel, England, Ireland, France, Spain, Peru and India.

Larry was an Eagle Scout who pursued outdoor activities with enthusiasm. As a young man, he and his friend, Carl Levy, taught themselves to ski in Schenley Park by studying how-to books from Carnegie Library. He skied into his 80s and sailed into his 90s. Larry loved being with family and friends at the Conneaut Lake summer home he commissioned in the early 1960s. He recently celebrated his 100th birthday there.

Our heartfelt thanks to everyone whose love and care surrounded Larry throughout the final years of his life. May Larry rest in Peace.

Donations in Larry's honor may be made to Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, Planned Parenthood, or the Jewish Community Center. Friends and family will be received at the Ralph Schugar Chapel Inc. for visitation at 12 noon on Friday, November 21, 2025 with the Funeral Service following at 1 PM. Interment will be at the Beth Shalom Cemetery directly after the service. www.schugar.com

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