John L Levinsohn

April 23, 1921 - March 08, 2021

John Lewis Levinsohn was born in Chicago, Illinois on, April 23,1921, to Stella (nee Neuberger) and Edward D. Levinsohn. His grandfather, Louis Levinsohn of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was the founder of the Oshkosh Overall Company, which became OshKosh B’gosh.

John graduated high school from the Harvard School for Boys in 1938. He attended the University of Chicago for two years. In 1940, at the urging of cousins in sunny California, he left Chicago and the cold winters and hightailed it to San Francisco. He was working at the Federal Outfitting Co. on Market Street when he was drafted in 1942. In October of 1944, he was sent to the Pacific Theater with the 96th Infantry Division and took part in the initial landing on the Island of Leyte in the Philippines. John liked to recall that he was on the beach in the morning and General MacArthur was on the beach in the afternoon. He was a tank liaison during the famous Battle of Leyte Gulf and took a shrapnel hit when his tank was struck by a grenade. He was awarded a Purple Heart. Three men lost their lives in that attack, which caused him immeasurable grief. He was evacuated by hospital ship HOPE to the 27th General Hospital at Hollandia, New Guinea. With superb writing skills and having been reassigned to Hollandia, John became the editor of the hospital newspaper Pulse with his buddy Louis B. Schlivek. Pulse won literary awards for war and combat reporting.

When the bombs were dropped and the war was over, John headed back to San Francisco in 1946. He enrolled in the University of California, Berkeley and in 1947 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts with Honors in Economics. His first job after college was with S&W Fine Foods where he was in charge of selecting the best quality product to meet S&W’s high standards. He joined the Foodsters as a Young Foodster, a networking group established for the betterment of the food industry. He was considered a pioneer and maintained a lifelong connection with the group. In 1952, John married Jane Garfield and they had two daughters, Nancy and Joanie. In 1956, John went into business with his fatherin-law, Sidney Garfield, as the National Sales Manager for Harrison Products, best known for marketing No Doz.

After meeting his neighbor, Joseph V. Costello, Jr. in 1958, John got his real estate license and settled on his lifelong career. He joined Joe and Charlie Strain (both now deceased) as a partner in Hill & Co., a premier San Francisco real estate firm on Union Street in the Cow Hollow area. John oversaw the opening of two offices in Marin County, in Mill Valley and Ross, and another in Honolulu, Hawaii. After 25 years with Hill & Co., John established his own company, John L. Levinsohn Real Estate Inc., specializing in commercial property, particularly retirement housing. Vivian Jackman was his associate.

John’s varied interests led him to participate on the Boards of many organizations. He was a Trustee on the Board of Directors of

Dominican University, eventually becoming Chairman for several years. He joined the Board of Directors of the Redwoods, a Community of Seniors, also later becoming Chairman. He was on the Boards of Innovative Housing, Marin Alzheimer’s Association, EAH Housing, the Marin Symphony, the Marin City Boy’s Club and the Resource Renewal Institute. He was on the Industry Education Council, was a former Chairman of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce Education Committee, Mayor Shelley’s School-Community Task Force, The Jewish Home, and the San Francisco Jewish Community Center. He was an enthusiastic member of the Drake Navigators Guild. As a commercial building owner, he was a respected member of the Town of Ross business community for over 40 years. John was a member of ZBT, Lambda Alpha Land Economics Society, and the Marin Association of Realtors.

As if all of that didn’t keep him busy enough, John Levinsohn authored two books inspired by his interest in California history: Cow Hollow, Early Days of a San Francisco Neighborhood from 1776 and Frank Morrison Pixley of the Argonaut.

At the age of 64, sidelined after a severe knee injury while jogging, John was introduced to race walking. He became a passionate and devoted member of the Marin Race Walkers, competing nationally and internationally, winning gold medals in his age group, and developing lifelong friendships. John once told fellow race walker and very dear friend Jim Scheller that walking is the key to a healthy, long life. ‘Keep Moving’ was his motto. He once said, “I’d rather wear out than rust out.”

As planned, and in spite of declining health of several years’ duration, John did not rust out, he kept moving, exercised right up to the very end, and wore out peacefully at the admirable age of 99, 46 days shy of his 100th birthday.

John loved life. He loved his family and friends.

He is survived by many cousins and his daughters Nancy Levinsohn and Joanie Levinsohn who love him dearly and will miss him forever. We are eternally grateful to his three loving caregivers as well as Hospice by the Bay, without whom John’s wish of remaining at his home during his last months would not have been possible.

In honor of his 100th birthday, and in lieu of a service, which he did not want, John would simply ask his friends to take a walk and notice the beautiful wildflowers. In the words of his favorite William Wordsworth poem, “….and then my heart with pleasure fills, and dances with the daffodils.”