I still miss you Stanley. I feel that you are still around, I really do.
I have been working very hard towards one objective: to do everything I possibly can with my family so that they will love and miss me a fraction of how your family love and miss you. This is the most profound influence you had on me and have made my life truly meaningful. I am truly enjoying it.
I worked with Mr. Levine for a few years. On this particular day, he wore a white polo company shirt for this picture. The photographer told him it was too bright and would not look good when printed. So, Mr. Levine came out of the conference room and saw me walking down the hall with this shirt. Calls me over and says, "Hey, can I borrow your shirt for a moment?" I had no idea what it was for but said "sure Mr. Levine." Took the shirt right off and he lent me the polo in the mean time. Great guy, great memories. You are missed sir.
A morning of fishing on a lake near his cabins in the Ocala National Forest. I have always really liked this photo of Stan. We will miss him, but he won't be fogotten, as his heart is reflected in his wife, his children and each of the grandchildren. We love you all!
Tommy
Worldcrossings.com
A great man died this past Monday. His impact on this world will reverberate for generations to come. There are hundreds of people here today who will each tell you a different reason why he is such a great person. I would just like to share a few of my own.
My grandfather lived his life in accordance with one short credo, “forever young”. Many people have written about this philosophy, but what makes Stanley unique is that he lived it. When Bob Dylan wrote how we should all strive to be forever young, his implication is referencing a state of mind. The Stanley that I knew was in his 70s. Some people are retired watching Jag reruns in this stage of life, but not Stanley. Stanley lived a fuller life than I could have ever imagined. Whether he was closing down his bar in Bimini, Big John’s, at 3 AM after partying all night with a bunch of 25-year-olds, or horseback-riding after a long day fighting zoning regulations in Pagosa, Stanley made sure to have a good time wherever life took him. Stanley also worked harder than almost anyone I know. If he wasn’t at the office, he was either starting a project in Homestead, expanding his work in Pagosa, operating Big John’s, or establishing Miami as one of the premiere cultural hubs in America for the performing arts. He was able to do all of this for his entire life because he was passionate, determined, and wise. He never saw his age as a hindrance, but more as an opportunity. He had the foresight and imagination to plan for things in the distant future, and he knew that with time he could make his dreams a reality.
And he didn’t consider what he did work. He loved what he did, which is why he did it. One of the last points that he really emphasized to me was the importance of a diverse education. He would tell me to take every course I can and find that one subject that I love, and run with it. One of my favorite lines of his was “Education is your only defense in this world.”
Even though he was tremendously intelligent and taught the brightest people, he considered himself a student. He wasn’t interested in what he knew; he was interested in what he didn’t know. Stanley was incredibly grounded and humble despite everything he had to be proud of. The watch that I now wear belonged to him for many years and is a great reflection of who he was. I never asked Stanley why he chose to wear a G-Shock, instead of a fancier watch, but I think I know why. If someone were to think less of him as a result of not wearing an expensive watch, then that was there problem.
He wasn’t interested in material possessions or the status that accompanied them, because his main priority was family. Stanley knew the importance of family above all else. Any excuse he could find, whether it was Rosh Hashanah or just because it was Sunday, Stanley would try to bring the whole family together. The number of times our family went over to their house to be together is far too large to count. The Sunday brunches of pancakes and bacon at their house will always be my fondest memories. I would talk with him for hours on end about anything and everything. His knowledge of the world seemed to be endless, and whether he would talk about philosophy with me, politics with Max, the arts with Sabina, or sports with Spencer, there was always enough of him to go around.
A few years back, Stanley shared a quote from Confucius with me: “If you've had wonderful family relationships, you will be able to call yourself a true success in life, no matter what else you've achieved.” By this definition, Stanley was extremely successful. And now, with his whole family here to send him off, I know he is happy and proud of the family he built.
Stanley, when you first recruited me and a few others to share your vision for the revitalization of Lincoln Road, none of us knew what a profound effect you were making to our lives and to the preservation community in our county and nation. At that time, only a few dreamers could see the promise that the arts community could bring to the historic preservation community. In your championship of arts and preservation, a marriage was formed that proved a unique formula turning a tired and failing commercial strip Iinto what is today an international destination and known the world over. It is today a bustling business center that showcases a unique period in South Florida's history while remaining a growing center of the arts, both visual and performing. I have never known anyone before who could inspire such a dramatic transformation so quietly and with dignity, never seeking personal recognition or glory.
And to my amazement, you had the energy to do it all over again in Homestead, once more taking a community with its core ravaged by Hurricane Andrew and restoring the historic core of that City with a thriving and growing arts community.
Although you never asked for it, please know that you have our undying admiration.
Read more: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/herald/obituary.aspx?n=i-stanley-levine&pid=145567260#ixzz10MaHndXr
In his 81 years, I. Stanley Levine led a powerhouse Miami law firm, brought legendary performing artists to town, and planned Lincoln Road's transformation.
He helped establish Homestead's ArtSouth complex, revitalized a landmark Bimini resort, and won Colorado's 2009 Outstanding Forest Steward of the Year award.
But you'd be hard pressed to find buildings or gala-event invitations bearing his name. Levine, of Miami Beach, never sought recognition for the money and effort he gave to a slew of nonprofits.
He didn't need it; knowing he'd enriched life for his family and community, for neighbors in Colorado's Archuleta County -- where he owns a ranch -- and on the Bahamian island of Bimini -- where he loved to fish -- was sufficient thanks.
``I could have died 10 years ago and been happy with my life,'' he told son Robert Levine when he recently decided to forgo kidney dialysis.
It might have prolonged his life, but surely would have limited his quality of life.
``It's my time to go,'' he declared.
Born Irvin Stanley Levine in Cleveland, Ohio, on Nov. 26, 1928, he died Monday at South Miami Hospital of chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, a rare cancer that caused kidney failure.
ENERGETIC
Until April, ``he was a very healthy guy,'' Robert said. ``He was horseback riding on his ranch. He was incredibly energetic. He worked 10 hours a day, seven days a week.
A skilled negotiator, Levine raised millions for the Concert Association of Florida, the Miami City Ballet, the Performing Arts Center Trust -- which planned and built the Adrienne Arscht Center -- and the New World Symphony.
He supported cultural programs for inner-city kids, the Linda Ray Children's Center for at-risk infants, and Mount Sinai Medical Center.
He generally operated behind the scenes, making deals that produced revenue for the groups he supported.
He grew up in Rochester, N.Y., and Warsaw, Ill. After losing everything in the Great Depression, the family moved to Miami Beach in the 1940s, where Levine's father, once a cab-company owner, started over.
After earning a bachelor's degree from Hobart College, Levine graduated from the University of Miami law school, and began practicing in 1955.
At the time of his death, he was retired from the Brickell Avenue law firm Levine & Partners -- two of the latter being sons Robert and Alan.
``But he had an office at the firm and came in every day and was running investments and trusts,'' Robert said.
Robert recalls his father ``lamenting at the dinner table: `This town is devoid of culture. There's nothing -- no performing arts, no dance.' I think I was 12, and I said: `Why don't you do something about it?' ''
Levine headed the Concert Association's board for 12 years, as it evolved into South Florida's premier performing-arts promoter, and handled its legal work gratis.
``He was the one who made the budgets and told me everything I should do,'' founder Judy Drucker said.
A talented singer in his own right, Levine ``went to Carnegie Hall all his life, and he knew music. . . . He had an incredible mind. You would tell him something and he could analyze what the problem was immediately.''
Opera superstar Luciano Pavarotti ``adored talking to him,'' Drucker said.
LINCOLN ROAD
In the early 1990s, when Levine was a senior partner at the law firm Levine & Geiger, then-Miami Beach Mayor Seymour Gelber tapped him to co-chair the Lincoln Road Task Force, which would create the master plan for the pedestrian mall's future.
``The vision we want is for Lincoln Road to become a public place, where high schools can have band awards ceremonies, where people can meet and greet and hang out and have a produce market on Sunday mornings,'' Levine told The Miami Herald in 1993.
It was a good fit for Levine, a preservationist who owned property on the mall and had been involved with Lincoln Road arts groups since the mid-1980s, including the ballet, and the South Florida Arts Center: three blocks of subsidized studio space and galleries.
His partner in the latter, clay artist Ellie Schneiderman, joined Levine in establishing ArtSouth, a 3.5-acre artist colony in Homestead's downtown historic district that opened in 2001.
``His love was to bring more of the arts to the public,'' Schneiderman said. ``His mission was to help the arts and educate the community. He was brilliant and very caring -- the eternal optimist.''
In a 1993 newspaper interview, Levine talked about what motivated him to work so hard in the community.
``I really believe that culture, used in a broader sense, helps define who we are, is the fabric of our society,'' Levine said.
Selling culture ``in a society that's so beleaguered . . . is a problem, when we're facing crises in education, in medical services, in housing. . . . But one without the other is a pretty base existence.''
In addition to sons Robert and Alan, Levine is survived by wife Elaine; son Kenneth, of Pagosa Springs; and daughter Tina Levine Fitch.
A memorial service will is planned for 3 p.m. Sunday at Temple Beth Sholom, 4144 Chase Ave., Miami Beach.
Instead of flowers, the family asks that mourners ``open your hearts to your family, friends and community.''
THE LEVINE FAMILY HAVE KINDLY ALLOWED USE OF THEIR PROPERTY FOR TRAIL RACES.
Pagosa was all about foot racing for the Chile Cha Cha - Gecko Trail Marathon and a high school cross country meet. Starting and finishing in Town Park, the longer marathon races went up the hill and into the forest on Reservoir Hill, to the right, and for miles south.
The Levine family own the property south of Reservoir Hill where much of the course is located. Thanks to the Levines.
Full Story at: http://pagosa.com/artman/publish/article_7385.shtml
On July 29, the Colorado State Forest Service recognized a Pagosa Springs land trust as the 2009 Colorado Outstanding Forest Steward of the Year for exceptional multiple-resource management of its 550-acre ranch.
The Fairway Land Trust received the award for demonstrating a commitment to active forest management and promotion of forest stewardship in the community. CSFS Director and State Forester Jeff Jahnke presented the award to Stanley Levine and his family, who share ownership of the trust. Pagosa Springs Mayor Ross Aragon and Archuleta County Commissioner John Ranson were two of the more than 50 attendees, many of whom toured the Levine’s Reservoir River Ranch following the ceremony.
“I’ve always considered our family to be stewards of this special land, and we have always focused on improving and maintaining the unique environment with which we have been blessed,” said Levine, who co-owns the ranch with wife Elaine, son and ranch manager Ken, and three of Ken’s siblings.
Only one Colorado Outstanding Forest Steward is selected annually by the Colorado Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee to recognize individuals or groups who demonstrate an exemplary commitment to a forest stewardship land ethic.
Assistant District Forester Dan Wand of the CSFS Durango District said the Levine family worked with the CSFS to develop a forest management plan for the ranch, which became a certified Tree Farm in 2009. The Natural Resources Conservation Service also works with the Levines, offering planning assistance, as well as financial support for projects.
A summary of ranch accomplishments includes forest thinning on 152 acres to improve forest health; a half-mile of stream restoration (primarily on Mill Creek); improved infrastructure for irrigation and access; and an active weed control program.
Located just south of Pagosa’s hot springs and adjacent to open space, the Reservoir River Ranch borders the San Juan River and boasts a balanced blend of actively managed forestland, rangeland and pastureland. The property also is managed for wildlife habitat, watershed protection and recreational values.
“The Levine family has done an exceptional job of managing multiple resources on their land in an environmentally sound way,” said Jahnke.
The ranch is closely involved with the community and various partners, as well as the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County. The Levine family has allowed limited recreational access to area residents for cross-country running and skiing events; plans also are underway for a bike path that will tie into the existing path in town.
Stanley Levine
Arts champion for Lincoln Road
I. Stanley Levine
Benefactor Emeritus of the Arts
City of Miami Beach Proclamation: I Stanley Levine Day
Lawyer is quiet benefactor to his passions
The Quiet Visionary's View of Lincoln Road
