Neil Levin

Neil Levin, a Holocaust survivor, of Chestnut Hill, MA and more recently of Delray Beach, FL, passed away in the early hours of June 4, 2023 at the age of 93, one month shy of his 94th birthday. During his time in Florida, he lived with and was cared for by his daughter Susan and his son-in-law Michael. He was born on July 6, 1929 in Slabotke, a small town near Kovno, Lithuania, the youngest of 6 brothers. Shortly after the Nazis invaded, Neil was forced into the Kovno Ghetto along with his mother and two of his brothers. Sadly, his other family members did not make it. When the Germans liquidated the Ghetto in 1944, Neil and his two surviving brothers were sent to the Stutthof concentration camp near Gdansk, Poland. After only a few days, he was transferred to Waldlager, a work camp in Bavaria, separating him from his two brothers. He remained there until liberation by the Americans in the Spring of 1945. Neil was taken to Feldafing, a displaced person’s camp in Germany. There, he was a goalie on the soccer team and met his future wife, Sally Silberstein, at a dance. Neil and Sally arrived in the United States around 1947 and Neil was reunited with his 2 brothers, Harvey Lewin and Jerold Levin, in Boston. Neil and Sally married on December 31, 1950 and went on to have two daughters, Francine and Susan. After great hardship and persecution, they were living their American dream, ultimately in Chestnut Hill, MA.

Neil was a proud and hardworking baker, taking his craft seriously. He had strong opinions about frozen dough and underbaked bread, even in his later years. He also invested in rental properties, building a nest egg for his family. Neil was a loving and affectionate father and his daughters recall him dressing up, dancing, and celebrating holidays and life events. He also was an avid Boston sports and international soccer fan, often watching the games on TV. Neil loved ice cream and his banana splits. He also loved spending time in the sun at Nantasket Beach with his family when his children were young, on a beach vacation with Sally, and by the pool at his daughters’ homes.

Neil was a loving grandfather and great-grandfather. He was “Puppy” and “Grandpa” and provided his 4 grandchildren with his quiet wisdom. He was delighted to spend time with his 7 great grandchildren, both in-person or via FaceTime. Years after his wife Sally passed away after nearly 53 years of marriage, Neil shared wonderful times with his companion, Sandy, spending winters together in Florida. He attended events and services at Congregation Mishkan Tefilah, where he loved listening to the Cantor singing. Music was integral in his life, especially Jewish music, and provided him with joy and peace.

Neil is survived by his daughters Francine Ochs and Susan Robbins and their husbands, Jeffrey and Michael; Grandchildren Rebecca (Ochs) Rabenn, Julie (Ochs) Bugeau and Philip Bugeau, Daniel Robbins and Emily Robbins, and Sarah (Robbins) Scott and Andrew Scott; and Great Grandchildren Noa and Ellie Rabenn, Wesley and Lila Bugeau, Jonah and Lenna Robbins, and Oliver Scott; sister-in-law Joyce Levin and nephews Sid, Steven and Marc Levin and their families; and his companion Sandra Salzman.

The family would also like to thank Trustbridge Hospice and his caregivers from Amerihome for their care and support.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Neil’s memory can be made to The New England Holocaust Memorial (www.nehm.org).

For those family members that are unavailable to attend, please copy and paste the link below as the family has made arrangements to live stream Neil's service so all the friends and family that he has touched can share in his memory.

https://view.oneroomstreaming.com/index.php?data=MTY4NjEyODE5MTExNTkxMzUmb25lcm9vbS1lbWFpbCZpbnZpdGF0aW9uX2NvcHlfbGluaw==