Ken Levine entered into eternal rest on July 27, 2019, after a long illness. He was born in East Haven on December 10, 1941 to parents Florence Gillon and Kenneth Levine three days after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The Eagle Scout graduated from East Haven High School in 1959 and was proud of his Momauguin roots. He joined the Navy at age 17 and served in the submarine force stationed in New London.
His submarine, The USS Entemedor (SS-340) sailed for a midshipman cruise to the Isle of Portland, England and participated in large-scale exercises off the east coast and in the Caribbean, serving as target for Task Force “Alfa”, in development of antisubmarine warfare techniques.
A stoic man of Scottish and Swedish descent, he was nicknamed “Swedy” by his closest friends. A self-taught man in most aspects of life, Ken worked as an HVAC technician for 35 years eventually retiring from AVCO/Textron Lycoming/Allied Signal in 1997 at the age of 55.
True enjoyment came from his second act, 22 years of retirement which gave him time to hone his cooking skills by hosting Wednesday night family dinners where lively political discourse ensued. He enjoyed all aspects of gardening but is notorious for his Spanish Pepper plants. A voracious reader and defacer of public library books he never stopped learning.
He mastered computer literacy, small engine repair, and day trading – thank you, Intel! He received an honorary law and nursing degree by virtue of his daughters and Google, which he called “Goggle.”
He rushed for no one, hence, he was no one’s emergency contact. He did things at his own pace, on his own terms, thus his impressively low blood pressure. An irreverent story teller, he was great with a well-timed zinger. A soft-spoken man who was nearly deaf conveniently couldn’t hear when his wife of 52 years asked him to do something. He was the neighborhood watchman from the smoking section, aka the second floor front porch. He loved his weed-free lawn at what we called the “Ansonia Botanical Gardens.”
An animal lover, he successfully performed CPR on his beloved Yorkie, Duncan. Duncan went on to live a full life despite ingesting a pack a day of second-hand smoke.
“Big Ken”, as he was affectionately called by his daughters’ friends, liked: being home, things done his way, fresh tomatoes grown in his garden, Chevys, Lucky Strike, cold Schaefer, UCONN Women’s Basketball, 50’s music, bargain shopping, hot tea, naps, and books delivered from the Ansonia Library by his wife and enabler, Maureen. He disliked anything that deviated from the list above.
He is survived by his wife, Maureen Levine of Ansonia; his daughters, Nicole Levine McGrath (Brian) of Oxford, and Michelle R. Levine (Ed)of Missoula, MT; his grandson and namesake, Kenneth Clifford McGrath of Oxford; his sister, Barbara Robert of Waterbury; Brothers-in-law, Thomas P. Clifford, III of Ansonia and Martin Hallier of Branford; Sister-in-law, Shirley Smolley (Don) of Germantown, MD; many nephews and nieces; cousins, Douglas, Thomas and Debbie Jerolmon of East Haven, Lois Levine and Billy Levine; and special friends, Doug Cooke of Oxford and John and Sharon McGrath of Barefoot Bay, FL.
He is predeceased by his parents, Kenneth and Florence Levine, sister, Hazel Hallier, sister-in-law, Betty Lou Cory (Andy), aunts and uncles, Doris and Fred Jerolmon and Harold and Alice Levine, and his Yorkie, Duncan.
Visiting hours will be held on Thursday August 1, 2019, from 4:00 to 7:00 pm in the chapel of the SPINELLI-RICCIUTI/BEDNAR-OSIECKI FUNERAL HOME, 62 Beaver Street in Ansonia.
