Myrna (nee Epand) Levine was born on November 17, 1939 in New York City to a father employed as a newspaper man and a nighttime cab driver and a mother of varying vocations. She was raised in a modest, non-practicing Jewish household with an older sister, Barbara, who predeceased her. Her parents divorced when she was a young adult, which is somewhat hard to fathom since her own marriage was a model of love, respect, partnership and true commitment.
In 1960, at the age of 21, Myrna married Larry Levine, whom she met through a classmate. Both raised in the Bronx and students at Hunter College, their engagement spanned Larry’s time stationed in Heidelberg, Germany in the United States Army. They wed on Christmas Day, as she said, because that was the only time a public school teacher would be able to take vacation to honeymoon.
After graduating Hunter College, Myrna worked as a public school teacher in New York City. Myrna and Larry left the Bronx for Maywood and then Paramus, NJ, where they raised their family. Over the many years following, she went on to receive her Master’s degree and then her Doctorate in the fields of education and cognitive psychology. She had the family members each take a night to cook dinner so she had time to focus on her studies. That meant omelettes or the Chinese restaurant on Dad’s night and some attempts at cooking for the children. This taught us we were collectively responsible to make the household run as well as demonstrated the importance of education. She viewed her dissertation as one of her greatest sources of accomplishment, making sure it accompanied her on each move later in life. Recently, she grasped it with pride, beaming from ear to ear, recalling all of the energy & research that led to its completion. She never hesitated to correct people with her title of “Doctor”; after all, she earned every letter.
She lived her value of community service in both her professional life as an educator and through her many years of volunteerism with B’nai B’rith, National Council of Jewish Women, Adler Aphasia Center, and her synagogue, the Jewish Community Center of Paramus. Through her varied pursuits, she continued to develop and maintain friendships, expanding her ever-widening social circle. Myrna loved travel, fine dining, and theater. Her social calendar was always full and lively. But more than what she did was who she was: an intelligent, open-minded, adaptable, resilient woman who was stoic and fierce against life’s many challenges while remaining positive.
Her career led her from the classrooms in Harlem & Washington Heights to the administrative offices of District 3 on the Upper West Side. She was a school principal, a reading specialist, and ultimately an educational consultant in her retirement. Her commitment to her students extended beyond the classroom. On occasion, she would invite a group of her young students from Harlem to an afternoon BBQ at our suburban NJ home. This demonstrated her true commitment to her work, broadening the perspectives and exposure of her family and students alike. Often one is asked to recall their favorite teacher; no question Mrs. or Dr. Levine has been uttered time and again.
Myrna weathered multiple health challenges spanning almost 20 years. While these medical issues restricted her mobility and forced her to enter more intensive caregiving settings, she adapted seamlessly to these changes, forming new friendships and maintaining a positive outlook. Her resilience and positivity taught us valuable lessons in handling adversity. We are grateful for the expert care and caring that she received, first from a home-based caregiver in NJ, then an assisted living facility in Teaneck and finally in her move to the skilled nursing unit at Bedford Court in Silver Spring three years ago.
She enjoyed any excursion Bedford offered. She didn’t care where, if there was a trip, she was going. If not on an outing, you could find Myrna beading, playing bingo or trivia, or watching any crime or detective show blasting on TV. Even more than the Bedford outings & activities, she beamed with the regular family visits or when we took her anywhere: to a restaurant, the mall, or to our home for just a relaxing afternoon or holiday celebration. Even during pandemic lockdown, visits continued through the window of her first floor apartment and on FaceTime. Almost miraculously, Myrna survived the pandemic never getting Covid, despite its havoc on many frail adults like her.
She died peacefully, surrounded by her immediate family after only 2 days in JSSA Hospice. Myrna’s husband Larry predeceased her, as did their eldest child, Melissa, at the tender age of 13. Myrna leaves behind Howard Levine (Hitomi) and Pam Levine (Todd Schenk) as well as three grandchildren (Leo Levine, Rae & Jordan Levine-Schenk). Her legacy of positivity and her strong moral character survives in the loved ones she leaves behind.
Funeral Services will be held 9:00 AM, Tuesday, July 19, 2022 at Gutterman and Musicant Jewish Funeral Directors, 402 Park Street, Hackensack, NJ 07601. Following the service burial will take place at Cedar Park Cemetery, 735 Forest Avenue, Paramus, NJ 07652.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.guttermanandmusicant.com for the Levine family.
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