Hortense “Horty” Rosalie (Strauss) Levinson, OCTOBER 25, 1932 – AUGUST 29, 2024
Horty Levinson passed away peacefully at her Southern California home early in the morning on August 29, just months shy of her 92nd birthday.
Beloved wife of 70 years to Richard “Dick” Levinson, Horty’s legacy lives on through her four children: Ron Levinson, Steve Levinson, Nancy Kolons (Norm), and Jeff Levinson (Wayne Danner). She was a proud grandmother to Brian Levinson (Samantha), Amanda Wang (Chris), Rob Levinson (Becky), Lu Levinson, Joe Levinson, Ben Levinson (Ashley), David Levinson (Monica Garcia), Brett Kolons (Abbi), and Blake Kolons, and a beloved great-grandmother to Jacob, Sho, Ayelet, Korbin, Dimitri, Leisel, Maya, Lilah, Jack, and Evie. Born in St. Louis to Leon and Ida Strauss, parents who valued hard work and frugality, Horty was a “child of the depression,” as she called herself. She attended Roosevelt High School, and subsequently graduated from Harris Teachers’ College, where she was treasurer of Omega Delta Pi sorority, the only Jewish organization of its kind at Harris at the time. There she made lifelong friends.
In May 1953, Horty married Dick, embarking on a remarkable 70-year journey. Their adventurous honeymoon in Miami and Havana set the tone for raising their family in St. Louis before relocating to California.
Throughout the years, Horty lived each day with an infectious smile, quick wit, mug of strong black coffee, and a passion for her “seven C’s”: Commitment, Children, Canines, Cardinals, Cooking, Charity, and Coupons. She was the first to rise every morning, ensuring a hot breakfast awaited Dick and the kids, and the last to turn in at night, packing school lunches and offering reassuring hugs to ease occasional nightmares.
Horty was a magician in the kitchen. She could taste any restaurant meal and recreate it at home on a shoestring budget, using her imagination as the cookbook and her spatula as a magic wand. She instinctively transformed mundane leftovers into culinary feasts, eschewing measuring cups and spoons, sprinkling in a little of this and a dash of that, with frequent taste-tests as her guide. Some of her recipes were simply lists of ingredients with no measurements. From kugel (or noodle pudding, as she called it) to kasha, blintzes to brisket—there was always more than enough food to welcome all, whether the kids’ friends staying after playdates or, as time moved on, her children’s significant others.
A cherished aunt once told her that to know if someone is a good cook, look at their pots: spotless pots mean order takeout; well-worn pots mean invite yourself for dinner. Horty’s pots (many of which were passed down from her own mother) were appropriately weathered, telling tales of countless satisfied appetites.
Everyone was welcome at the Levinson household. Horty transformed the chaos of raising four energetic kids into an efficient, supportive, and inclusive environment where all knew she had their backs and accepted them as they were.
Her happy place might be in her garden, swapping stories with friends amidst the clatter of Mah Jong tiles, knitting afghans for treasured gifts to family and friends, winning contests for others, or thumbing through her coupon box in the checkout lane. She joined coupon clubs and challenged herself to see how much she could save, sometimes resulting in the store owing her money.
She had no use for designer labels and preferred using her resources to help others. Horty was a founding member of the Lights of the Jewish Special Needs Society, a charity that provided meals for the elderly and expanded to aid the sick, poor, and handicapped in St. Louis. They also offered college scholarships to Jewish students in need. Her family room became the “recruitment center,” where she personally interviewed prospects to determine who was most in need, amidst tables stacked with hundreds of “Entertainment Books” to sell for fundraising.
Horty was a beloved school room mother, Cub Scout den mom, Girl Scout Cookie chairperson, and ever-present in her children’s lives—driving carpools, helping with homework, and caring for the family. Her love for dogs and the St. Louis Cardinals reflected the simple pleasures that she shared with her family, a joyful thread that created lasting memories together.
When the kids were young, Tuesday dinners were at her parents’, Thursdays at Dick’s parents’, and Saturdays both sides gathered at their home. To Horty, family meant everything.
She passed on strong values and a hearty sense of humor to all who knew her, and she will be terribly missed for her overflowing kindness, quiet generosity, and unconditional love for family and friends, whether 2- or 4-legged.
Graveside service Friday, September 20, at 10 a.m., Chevra Kadisha Cemetery, 1601 North and South Rd, St. Louis, MO 63130. Friends and family can join to wish Horty “pleasant dreams,” endless laughs, beautiful gardens, fabulous feasts, and an abundance of love from pets, both new and reunited.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests tributes be sent to the Alma and Joseph Levinson Nursing Scholarship Fund (Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College), or the charity of your choice. For online donations, select “I want to support other” and type “Levinson Fund.” https://www.foundationbarnesjewish.org/give-nurses
BERGER MEMORIAL SERVICE
