Cathy A. Levin

Cathy A. Levin of Melrose, MA, passed away peacefully on Feb. 24, 2024, at the age of 63. She grew up in Arlington, MA, and attended Arlington High School.  She went on to graduate from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio, Television, and Film. Cathy was a strong advocate for people with mental health issues. She worked for the Tri-City Mental Health Center in Medford, MA, writing press releases for local newspapers. She also joined M-POWER, a mental health self-help group in Boston, now called the Transformation Center, and was the editor of its newsletter “Voices for Change.”  Cathy was tireless in the fight for better treatment of mental health patients in emergency rooms. She was instrumental in driving the ER Rights Campaign, helped organize rallies and hearings at the Massachusetts State House, and testified in person at the Statehouse on their behalf. Cathy had a lifelong interest in American history and politics. In addition to earning an undergraduate degree, Cathy enrolled at UMASS, Boston, and obtained a Graduate Certificate in Women in Politics and Public Policy. She then worked as an intern for State Representative Barbara L’Italien. Her love of history inspired her to become a very popular tour guide on the Freedom Trail in Boston. Dressed in colonial women’s attire, she escorted tourists and history buffs from the Boston Commons to Government Center, stopping along the way at historic buildings and gravesites of the Founding Fathers to explain the historical significance of each stop. Cathy was also a dog lover. She once rescued a Brittany Spaniel from the streets of Somerville, MA, and welcomed him into her home. She was also a very good artist and enjoyed painting beautiful color portraits. Her passions for history, politics, advocacy, reading, and art will be sorely missed. Cathy was pre-deceased by her parents, JoAnne McIntosh and Melvin Levin, and is survived by her two brothers Jim and Tom Levin, her niece Ashley, and her nephews Cole and Denys.