As a former classmate of “Donnie”  Levine at Arthur McGill School in Ne Castle, Pa, I  remember him as a brilliant and enthusiastic student who was also quite humble. It was  a pleasure  to  be in the same classroom with him and witness his achievements. 
Janet Lindsey Marburger
Allison Park, Pa

Professor Donald N, Levine was a wonderful teacher and a brilliant sociologist and social scientist.  He was a major influence on my intellectual development and my academic career at the University of Chicago, having taught my section of Social Science II in my first year, thereby introducing me especially to the field of sociology.  He was later my faculty advisor for my bachelor's paper.  He was an amazingly thoughtful, careful and intellectually honest man, whose gentle, supportive way with students made him a major contributor to the University of Chicago community.  This belated entry to his obituary book -- caused by my lack of awareness of his death more than two years ago -- is no less heartfelt.  I am deeply saddened to learn of his passing.

Don was a very kind and extremely smart person, personifying the best of what the word gentlemen scholar' could mean. We met the first time at Philadelphia airport, as I was coming in to interview a number of former students of Talcott Parsons. When Don and I got in touch, and I asked if we could have a conversation, we came to understand that he'd be leaving Philly a day before I arrived. Don  without knowing me personally yet  just went ahead and on his own accord delayed his flight for a day so we could at least have lunch at the airport. That was Don for you. We shared a few conversations over the past 8 years, via phone, skype, and at conferences. I was looking forward to our next talk at ASA in Chicago about aikido, decoloniality and Northern Africa, and the role that sociology and Liberal Arts can play in this world. I am sad that now it will never happen. It feels like we all lost a great friend. While I have never exercised aikido myself, I felt like Don was as much a sensei to me as he was to all his students, both in sociology and aikido. As Morihei Ueshiba has said, and as I think Don lived and breathed: The art of peace begins with you.

The wonderful thing about Don's work is that it linked people from around the world and formed friendships that would never have happened otherwise.
Quentin Cooke Aiki Extensions Board member and Sensei of Burwell Aikido Club (UK)

Donald Levine asked me to be one of his healing team; little did I know he would become a dear friend and mentor. He taught and provided me insights on how to live life fully and how to die with dignity. RN Acupuncturist

With love, admiration, and deep gratitude for your teaching, mentorship, empowerment, and friendship. I will continue your work of dialogue and learning in Ethiopia and beyond.

Don was a great mentor, spiritual father, and intellectual soulmate whose generosity knew no limit.

Levine Sensei was an amazing aikido instructor and human being.  He will be missed by so many.

Training under Don Sensei's guidance expanded my Aikido-life. His example will live with me forever. I will miss him very much.

In memoriam: Donald Nathan Levine, 1931-2015

Alemayehu F. Weldemariam

Donald Levine, scholar, educator, activist, aikido sensei, and peacemaker, was born in June 16, 1931, in New Castle, Pennsylvania.  Levine was the Peter B. Ritzma Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Chicago and former dean of the College. He graduated with BA in 1950 from the "Hutchins College", MA in 1954, and PhD in 1957 from the University of Chicago under the mentorship of Robert Redfield and Richard McKeon. He received Doctor of Letters honoris causa in 2004 from Addis Ababa University where his citation speech delivered by President Andreas Eshete reads: "Ethiopianist, sociological theorist, educator: you have succeeded in all three vocations. Your pioneering work, Wax and Gold, has become an Ethiopian classic. As manifested in its title, yours is an exceptionally imaginative quest to reach an understanding of Amhara society from the internal point of view. The very concept of "Wax and Gold" has taken a life of its own: it figures at once in our understanding of Ethiopia's pre-modern culture and in our coming to grips with Ethiopia's reception of modernity. Greater Ethiopia draws attention to the deep fact that Ethiopian life is rooted in multicultural identities, and it also demonstrates the salient bonds that hold them together.

Great master! You changed many minds, including mine. All my love to you and we will meet at the next life. Hugs and kisses from one of your Colombia's student

Don Levine was the best. Fantastic scholar and prof, and a truly fine human being both personally and professionally. His loss will be felt in many places. My Dad Herman Sinaiko owed him a lot both personally and in his career. It's a shame Don has passed; he will not be forgotten.

As founder of Aiki Extensions, Levine Sensei gave birth to a network of practitioners dedicated to the idea that the inspirational message and practical wisdom of Aikido, the martial art of peace, deserved application in psychotherapy, music, higher education, youth violence prevention efforts, and peacemaking - particularly in the Middle East. We are forever indebted to his guidance and his extraordinary vision, and feel honored to carry on his benevolent legacy.

In typically modest fashion, Professor Levine's death notice never mentioned his decades teaching sociology at the University of Chicago nor his world reknown for his 5 decades of studies in Ethiopia where they remember him well (http://allafrica.com/stories/201504071346.html).

I really regret that I never got back to him to thank him for bringing me out of my shell of intimidation by other U of Chicago students way back in the fall of 1969. I had missed most of the first half of his course due to illness and wrote what I thought was the worst paper of my academic career as a U of Chicago sociology major. Much to my astonishment, he gave it an A+ and asked to speak to me after class. Even more to my astonishment, he asked me to speak up in class and that the students who were dominating the discussion and bullying everybody else didn't have a clue what they were talking about. He wanted somebody who actually understood what he was reading to speak up. For three years my classmates had intimidated me into classroom silence. Donald Levine was kind enough to give me the confidence to speak out, and I'm afraid I've been speaking out on matters I understand ever since.

So, to his family, please accept this very overdue "thank you" to your late husband and father. I only wish I had taken the time to thank him for giving me the confidence to break out of my shell and stop being intimated by the loud mouth bullies anymore.

The world is a lesser place for the death of Don Levine.  He was a mentor, teacher, friend, and unswerving supporter to me in my intellectual and professional life.  He was one of the most decent persons I've known:  compassionate, honest, and brave.  My sincere condolences to his family, especially Ruth and Rachel.

Eleanor (Ellie) Miller

OBITUARY

Donald N. Levine

June 16, 1931 – April 4, 2015

Weinstein & Piser Funeral Home

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