Jeffrey Emmet Levinger

June 21, 1941 - April 13, 2018

Jeff was a pianist, a poet, and a loving father, grandfather and husband. He passed away on Friday, April 13th at the hospital from complications arising from a year-long battle with cancer. He was surrounded by family and loved ones at the time of his death.

Jeff was born in New York City and spent his childhood in Cincinnati and Chicago. He was an avid reader and an insatiable thinker, with wide-ranging interests in religion, philosophy, history, politics, sociology, linguistics, nutrition and science. He attained his bachelor’s degree from MIT in Mathematics and moved to San Francisco in 1968.

Jeff was an early pioneer in the computer fields, beginning work as a computer programmer when computers were so large that a single computer took up a whole room! He later switched disciplines to become a technical writer by trade, a profession he continued for the next 40 years. He also studied the Japanese martial art, Aikido, for several decades.

Jeff was married for 46 years to Lucretia Duncan-Levinger, a native of Louisville, Kentucky and Dallas, Texas. Jeff and Lucretia met in San Francisco and had two children, David and Leah. Jeff was a devoted and adoring father, who took obvious delight in his children and later, his grandchildren. His infectious playfulness, capacity for downright silliness, rigorous and far-reaching intellect, unbridled passion for music, unceasing curiosity, and incurable proclivity toward debate (even when inconvenient!) will be deeply and keenly missed.

Jeff is survived by his wife Lucretia and his sisters Enid and Andy. He lives on in his children David and Leah, his daughter-in-law Heather, and several grandchildren, Hannah, Jasmine, Misia, Rachael, and Ziva.

Services will be held this Tuesday, April 17th at 10 a.m. at Congregation Beth Jacob at 1550 Alameda de las Pulgas in Redwood City.