Rosanne P. Levitt

Rosanne P Levitt, a longtime resident of San Mateo passed away at the age of 85, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Elsie and Bernard Perlman, she was the eldest of 4 children. She had three younger brothers, Jason & Wesler, both of whom preceded her in death, and Neal. When Rosanne was 3 years old, the family moved to Galveston, Texas. The Galveston/Houston area provided Rosanne the opportunity to be surrounded by her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins.

As a child, Rosanne loved the beach. Some of her fondest childhood memories were of the beach in Galveston and her love for the beach continued until her death.

After graduating from Ball High School in 1955, Rosanne attended the University of Colorado at Boulder. As a freshman, she joined Alpha Epson Phi and made several life-long friends. Rosanne met Al Levitt in the Spring of her Freshman year and they married on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1957, in Galveston, Texas. Immediately after their celebration, Rosanne moved to Berkeley, California where Al was attending Law School.

While in Berkeley, Rosanne worked as a laboratory assistant at the Lawrence Livermore Lab. Her love of science and math were passed down to both her children and grandchildren. Over time, Rosanne and Al settled in San Mateo to raise their family and they lived there for more than 55 years. Rosanne was active in both the local and Jewish communities. She was a member of the League of Women’s voters and actively campaigned for several causes including the effort to save Sugarloaf Mountain in the mid-1970s. She was involved in the children’s schools and was a Brownie leader for her daughter Susan’s Brownie troop. As the children became settled in school, Rosanne returned to school at San Francisco State University to complete her Bachelor’s degree and later received her Master’s Degree in Psychology. After receiving her Master’s Degree, Rosanne worked at the Suicide Prevention Center.

In 1986, Rosanne became the Director of the San Francisco Jewish Community Center’s Interfaith Connection.

During her 18 years of service in this position, Rosanne touched the lives of hundreds of interfaith couples. She put her heart and soul into providing top notch programming for couples who previously did not have access to an open forum for couples with different faith perspectives.

Rosanne loved to travel. She and Al traveled to six continents and more than seventy countries. Rosanne meticulously planned each of the trips. She loved to read and learn about each of the places she visited. Rosanne was also a lover of the theater, ballet, and the arts, she took up painting later in her life, and created beautiful still life pictures that adorn Al and their children’s homes.

Above all, Rosanne’s great joy in life was being mother and grandmother. She relished in being the magnet that pulled the family together. She regularly hosted Chanukah parties and Passover seders. She also enjoyed vacationing with her children and grandchildren every year. Some of her favorite destinations were Lake Tahoe, Hawaii, Yosemite or one of the three spectacular cruises the family took together.

Rosanne is survived by her beloved husband of sixty-four years, Al; her loving children Brad (Selena), Doug (Lori), Susan (Michael); and her cherished grandchildren Sarah, Hannah, Brooke, Sloane, Ryan, Maya; as well as numerous cousins, nieces, and friends.

A celebration of Rosanne’s life be held at Peninsula Temple Beth

El, 1700 Alameda de Las Pulgas, San Mateo, CA on Sunday, September 4th at 3:00P.M.

In lieu of flowers donations can be sent to Jewish Family & Children’s Services, 2150 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115, Rhoda Goldman Plaza, 2180 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94115, or a charity of your choice.