Dr. Martin Edward Levy

Martin “Morty” Edward Levy, MD, MPH passed away at home on August 12, 2023. He was born on October 6, 1931. Morty is survived by his loving wife, Marjorie Levy, his sons Larry (Paula) and Howard (Lauren), as well as his cherished grandchildren Stephanie (Denny), Daniel, Allan, and Robyn. Morty and Marge recently celebrated 68 years of marriage.

Martin was born and raised in Philadelphia. He was a proud member of the 193rd graduating class of Central High School and maintained contact with his classmates throughout his life. He went on to get a BS in chemistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1953 and then graduated near the top of his class from Hahnemann Medical College (now part of Drexel University) in 1957.

After Internal Medicine residency in Miami, FL, Morty and Marge moved to the Washington D.C. area and Morty served in the Public Health Service for seven years. During that time he earned a Masters of Public Health in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University in 1970. He then joined the DC Department of Health, where he rose to become the Chief of Communicable Disease Control and temporarily served as the Acting Commissioner of Public Health for the District of Columbia. During his tenure, measles was eradicated from D.C. and the District became the first state or territory in the country to require college students to be vaccinated against common communicable diseases. He was instrumental in establishing Laurel Regional Hospital, which opened in 1978. He remained with the DC Department of Health until his retirement in 2001 at age 70.

Morty loved sports, rooting for his hometown Philadelphia Phillies, Athletics and Eagles. As he made his home in Maryland, Morty continued to cheer for the Phillies but also became a passionate fan of his new local teams, the Senators, Orioles and Commanders (formerly Redskins). He loved attending Orioles games at Camden Yards with his family. He also loved theater, especially upbeat musicals and comedies. Travel was another favorite pastime. He visited 26 different countries and made many lifelong friends in the course of his international travels.

A funeral service will be held on Wednesday, August 16, 2023, at 12:30 PM at Oseh Shalom, located in Laurel, MD. A burial will follow at Garden of Remembrance Memorial Park in Clarksburg, MD. Shiva will be held at Morty and Marge’s home, 9209 Montpelier Dr, Laurel, MD 20708 on Wednesday 6:30 to 8:30, Thursday 6:30 to 9:00 (with services at 7:30 both nights) and on Friday from 2:00 to 4:30 (with a service at 3:30). Friends, colleagues, and family are invited to join in honoring his memory.

In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests that donations be made to either Planned Parenthood or the American Heart Association in Dr. Martin Levy's name, as a tribute to his lifelong dedication to healing.