E. David Levy
On May 29, 2023, E. David Levy, 76, of Sharon, MA, passed away peacefully after a hard-fought battle with cancer and heart disease. He is survived by his wife of 48 years, Wendy; loving children, Douglas (Jessica) Levy and Robin (Justin) Gray; adoring grandsons, Dylan Levy and Jacob Gray; and dear sister, Eleanor (Allan) Goldman. He was predeceased by his father, Jacob Levy, and mother, Ida Stone, as well as his sister Carol (Earl) Willens.
David was a highly respected attorney, who fought for those underrepresented as both a prosecutor and a defense attorney, as well as a civil servant. He served as an assistant district attorney for the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office from 1975 to 1981 before going into private practice. In 1999, he returned to the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office, where he proudly served as chief of Civil Rights and director of District Court Training until he retired in 2011. He also was a member of the Sharon Zoning Board of Appeals from 1985 until 2000, and he was active in the Norfolk County Bar Association and the Norfolk County Bar Advocates, as well as the Massachusetts Bar Association. In 2004, David was honored with the Timothy J. Spillane, Jr. Outstanding District Court Prosecutor Award. Passionate about the law with a strong moral compass, some of his proudest moments in his career involved standing up for the little guy and passing on his experience to aspiring attorneys. Even in his retirement, he spent his time volunteering as a legal advocate for the Women’s Lunch Place.
Despite the serious nature of his work, David found joy every day, and he was known to carry a kite in his suitcoat pocket or the trunk of his car, sometimes pulling over for an impromptu flight. A lifelong sailor, David spent the summers of his youth on the Charles River and off the shores of Cape Cod. In his later years, he spent many weekends and Wednesday nights at the Massapoag Yacht Club, leaving his children with such fond memories that his daughter chose it as the site of her wedding. A proud father, he drove miles to watch his son play baseball, and later across the country to see him umpire. The best photos ever taken of David are of him dancing with his wife. He passed the same jar of peanut butter back and forth with his Aunt Ruth every Hannukah to make her laugh. He told stories – real and fictionalized – of the Jordan Road Gang, his friends since elementary school, and in retirement he reunited with his best friends from law school for weekly “guys nights.” He wore his “Zayde” t-shirt proudly. He was the kind of guy who would set reminders for his adult kids’ pets’ birthdays and send dog treats in the mail.
David leaves a legacy of fidelity – to family, friends and community – and his light and laughter will live on in all who knew him. His funeral will take place at Temple Sinai in Sharon on Thursday, June 1 at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at Sharon Memorial Park. Memorial observance will take place at Temple Sinai starting at 12:30.
In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Women’s Lunch Place, P.O. Box 170900, Boston, MA 02117 or the ACLU, Gift Processing Department, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004