Lester A. Levy Sr.

Lester A. Levy, Sr. was born on September 19, 1922 in Dallas, Texas and passed away on June 7, 2012. Lester was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend. He was a leader, a mentor, and a man of compassion and generosity. He was known as an elegant, true gentleman, with amazing communication skills and unfailing care for his community and those in need. Many individuals and organizations were recipients of his anonymous generosity. Lester was a very humble person. If you asked Lester what he did for a living, he would say he was a salesman; and what a salesman he was as well as a motivator of salesmen. His weekly sales letter to all of the NCH sales associates was legendary. Lester’s father, Milton P. Levy Sr. had written each of his salesmen a letter every week. When Lester began running the company in 1946, he continued his father’s tradition of these weekly sales letters until 2012. In 2010, the book 90 Years of NCH was published. The book of “Lester’s Letters” contains 400 of Lester’s more than 2000 inspirational letters and insures his valued legacy will be available to, and passed on by, both family and NCH Associates. Lester was constantly researching ways to build and expand NCH and motivate the NCH sales team to increase sales. Lester was a man of integrity and a man of his word; and he was known as such throughout the business world. Lester loved to read and was constantly expanding his knowledge. Lester was a man of wisdom, grace, and intelligence. He possessed the ability to look at the parts and understand the whole from his unique perspective. He passed the bar exam at an early age without completing his final year of law school as he dropped out of law school at the University of Texas to join the Army Air Corps during World War II. He was a lifetime member of the Dallas Bar Association, The Texas Bar Association, and the American Bar Association. Lester was a loving son and brother. His father, Milton P. Levy Sr., passed away suddenly on December 23, 1946, leaving Lester's mother Ruth with the small industrial chemical firm, National Disinfectant Company. Lester immediately came home to help wrap things up to close out the company. Instead of closing the firm, Lester found that he was truly his father’s son and enjoyed the business of sales, contacting customers and creating the need for his products. His brothers, Milton P. Levy, Jr. and Irvin also joined the company after receiving their college degrees.

National Disinfectant quickly grew under the guidance of the three “Levy Boys” and has become the global leader of industrial maintenance products under the name of NCH Corporation and its many divisions. The Levy brothers received the prestigious Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by Southern Methodist University in 1978, one of many awards through the years recognizing the company and the Levy family for outstanding achievements. Family was of utmost importance in Lester’s life. As a single parent, his young children frequently accompanied him on trips; and he taught them to enjoy traveling the world. As they became older, they occasionally joined him on business trips where he relished the opportunity to teach them about the company.

In 1970, Lester was set up on a “blind-date” with his wife Barbara. They married in 1985 and were constant companions and best friends. They shared many common interests including a love of Oriental antiques, art, literature, visiting different countries, and made numerous lifelong friends during their many travels. Lester was also a mentor to Barbara’s children. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Bertha Rose Marcus Levy, in 1967 and his brother, Milton P. Levy, Jr. in 2010. He is survived by his wife, Barbara Jean Levy, by his brother, Irvin L. Levy, by his children, Ann Levy Cox and her husband Steve, Walter M. Levy and his wife Karen, and Lester A. Levy, Jr., and his wife Brett and by Barbara’s children Richard Jerome Feferman and his wife Stacy, Robert Scott Feferman, and Ronald Josh Feferman and his wife Tammy. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Sam Piassick, Sophie Levy and Grant, Ella Rose and Lila Felice Levy and Barbara’s grandchildren Sarah Kate Feferman, Hugh Jacob Feferman, and Harris Abe Feferman. Lester was co-founder of The Winston School, one of the early schools in Dallas for children who learn differently. He served on numerous other charitable boards, including the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Foundation, Baylor College of Dentistry, The Association for Graduate Education of North Texas, the University of Dallas, Special Care & Career Center (now LaunchAbility), Temple Emanuel, The Greenhill School, Lamplighter School, Legacy Senior Communities (formerly Dallas Home for Jewish Aged) and Texas Foundation for Visually Impaired Children. He served the business community as a Director of A. H. Belo Corporation and as a board member with First International Bancshares among others. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Winston School or the charity of your choice. The family wishes to express their deep appreciation and gratitude for the loving and tender care provided to Lester by Consuelo Alvarez de Solis Keith Perry, Raquel Abastillas and Rozalina Jones. Services will be held at Temple Emanuel in the Olan Sanctuary on Sunday, June 10, 2012 at 10:00 am followed by private interment for the immediate family and relatives at Sparkman/Hillcrest.

Pallbearers and Honorary Pallbearers are Mark Fleschler, MD , Chris Haudenschild, Leon Jay Kaplan, John Levy, Robert Levy, Adam Marcus, Jerry Marcus, and Keith Perry