Sally Seasongood Levy, December 26, 2021

Sally Levy (nee Sally Ann Seasongood) passed away on Sunday, December 26, 2021, at the age of 95. She was preceded in death by her loving husband, John D. Levy (d. 1987), her brother Lester Seasongood Jr., her granddaughter Catherine Vail Levy; her father Lester Seasongood, her mother Lucille Seegall Seasongood Shiffman; and her dear sister-in-law Sue Seasongood.

Sally left three adoring children and their spouses: John David Levy Jr. (Lucy), Diane Levy Jacobson (Paul) and Mont Seasongood Levy (Karen);  seven grandchildren: Jonathon Levy (Sarah), David S Levy (Cheska),  Nathaniel Jacobson (Jenny Kim), Benjamin Jacobson, Elizabeth Goodlaxson-Levy (Leah), and Joanna  Kyger (Joseph); and eight great-grandchildren: Cameron Jacobson, Zachary Levy, Emma Levy, Ryan Levy, Kate Levy, August Jacobson, Michael Levy, and Joseph Kyger; and a niece Laura Seasongood.

Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1926 Sally moved to St. Louis as a child with her mother.  At age 17 she met Johnnie and they married in July 1944. She loved to tell the story that he courted her to music from Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde. That launched their joint devotion into all things opera. In the early 1970’s, they were founding board members of Opera Theatre of St. Louis (OTSL). Sally delighted in her volunteer involvement in OTSL’s early years, including staffing the box office and cleaning apartments to ready them for visiting performers. She had a broad knowledge of opera, enjoying performances in St. Louis and around the world.  She was a strong proponent of new operas and her lifetime impact on the opera world was recognized in 2008 with her receipt of Opera America’s National Opera Trustee Recognition Award

Sally and Johnnie shared a love of friends, family, music, boating, travel and wine. Sally was an avid reader and Jeopardy fan and enjoyed creating unique needlepoint works. She compiled many photo albums of adventures with family and friends that provide her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren a treasured record of a life well-lived.

In addition to her lifetime work with OTSL, Sally was an active volunteer for several local and national organizations, including the American Jewish Committee, the Jewish Federation, theNational Council of Jewish Women and was a board member of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and The Sheldon Arts Foundation. She was the recipient of several awards, including the 2017 Saint Louis Visionary Award and the Arts and Education Council’s Excellence in Philanthropy award in 2007. Sally was a generous donor, establishing the John D. Levy Master Class series at OTSL in Johnnie’s memory and later the Sally S. Levy and Family Fund for New Works.

Her family would like to thank Markesha Simmons who was a gentle and thoughtful companion to Sally in her last months.

Funeral service Wednesday, December 29th, 2:00 PM at Temple Emanuel, 12166 Conway Road. No visitation prior to service. Private family interment.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that those wishing to make a tribute in Sally’s honor consider a gift to Opera Theatre of St. Louis or an organization of their choice.

The family asks that out of consideration to others, attendees present proof of vaccination and wear a mask during the duration of the service. Please visit www.bergermemorialchapel.com for more information.

BERGER MEMORIAL SERVICE