Jules Anthony Levaggi
October 6, 1927 to May 11, 2018
Jules was born at St. Francis Hospital in San Francisco on October 6, 1927 to Elvira Dorothy Garibaldi and Antone Tony Levaggi. He was a California Pioneer, with his family members arriving from Italy in the 1840s. He grew up in Plymouth, Amador County, and San Francisco, attending St. Vincent de Paul School and St. Ignatius High School. In 1945, after his freshman year at the University of San Francisco, Jules volunteered to join the U.S. Army and served two years in Texas. He returned to complete his studies at USF, where he became increasingly interested in the field of social work. This led him to complete a master’s degree in Social Work from Columbia University and begin a lifelong career in the field.
Jules spent several subsequent years in the 50s in Oklahoma, where he worked for the State Department of Child Welfare. It was there in Oklahoma City that he met his future wife, Suzanne Mideke. They married there in 1957, after which they permanently relocated to San Francisco, where they would later raise their family together.
Jules devoted a total of sixty years of service in the social work field. He was first employed as a licensed clinical social worker at The Family Service Agency of San Francisco; then, for the next 29 years, he worked at the McAuley Neuropsychiatric Institute of St. Mary’s Hospital, and finally with the City and County of San Francisco Adolescent and Adult Services for a further 25 years. He also maintained an active private practice in individual and group counseling from 1958 until one month before his death.
For 25 years he served on the founding board of the International Conference for the Advancement of Social Work in Private Practice (ICAPP) and was the organization’s Vice President and President for many years. He was also President of The Children’s Garden, a foster care agency.
Jules was deeply fond of his experiences with his many professional colleagues and his numerous clients over the years. Many of his clients continued to see him privately in his home well after his official retirement at 84 years of age. He loved meeting people and making friends, and understood and encouraged the best qualities in everyone he met.
An elegant and gentle man, he had a natural understanding and appreciation for all kinds of music and theater, which he shared, wholeheartedly, with his wife. He stood by and loved his family, fully supporting their dreams and endeavors in every possible way.
Jules is survived by his wife of 60 years, Suzanne, their five grown children: Jonathan Antone; Christian Rex, his wife Anadith and their two children Isabella Jules and Annika Jane; Madeleine Sophia and her husband Rudy Murieen; Francesca Suzanne, her husband Tim Howard and their two children Jules Robert and Chiara Valentina; and Annaliese Isabelle and her partner Dale Fanning. His younger brother Lloyd and their parents predeceased Jules.
For three years Jules and his family received invaluable care and attention from two caregivers: Araceli and Mark. During the last three weeks, the Kaiser Hospice team provided additional support to him and the family.
Jules Anthony Levaggi died peacefully at home on Friday morning, May 11, 2018 with his family at his side. The cause of his death was complications of diabetes.
During his 90 years of life, Jules loved and was loved by his family. His was a life well lived.
Family, friends and colleagues are invited to attend his funeral mass on May 29, 2018 at 11:00 am at St. Dominic’s Catholic Church, 2390 Bush St. at Steiner St. San Francisco, CA.
Burial will take place on May 31, 2018 at 1:00 pm in the Pioneer Cemetery, Plymouth, CA
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Salesian Boys and Girls Club. Attention Randy De Martini 680 Filbert St, SF, 94133.