Jerry Levin obit

Jeremy Levin Obituary

 

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Jeremy Isadore Levin (Jerry) of Birmingham died Thursday, February 6, 2020. He was born in Detroit, Michigan on March 20, 1932. Jerry graduated with a degree in journalism from Northwestern University and then served as an officer in the United States Navy. While serving as News Director at WBRC Channel 6 in Birmingham during the 1970's, Jerry met the love of his life, Lucille (Sis) Hare Moss. They married and moved to Houston where Jerry began his career with CNN. Jerry went on to serve as Bureau Chief in Washington, D.C. and Chicago. In March of 1984, while serving as Middle East Bureau Chief for CNN in Beirut, Lebanon, Jerry was abducted by Hezbollah and held hostage for eleven and half months. During his captivity, Sis worked tirelessly with the help of many others to achieve Jerry's release. Jerry escaped captivity on February 14, 1985. Both Sis and Jerry wrote books offering accounts of their crisis: Sis' "Beirut Diary" and Jerry's "Reflections on my First Noel." In 1991, ABC aired the movie, "Held Hostage: The Sis and Jerry Levin Story." In the years after his escape, Sis and Jerry were a dynamic team dedicating their lives to writing, speaking, and working on behalf of peace and against violence in all its forms. In 2009 they were recognized by the Dali Lama as "Unsung Heroes of Compassion." Jerry had a passionate love of music and especially opera. In his later years Jerry pursued his lifelong dream of traveling with Sis to nearly every major opera house in the world. He was a Board member and long-time patron of Opera Birmingham. In addition to his soulmate and beautiful wife Sis, Jerry is survived by six children: Suzelle Smith (Don Howarth) of Malibu, California; Isabelle Herring (David) of Alpharetta, Georgia; Florence Selman (Richard) of Leeds, Alabama; Clare Thomas (Richard) of Birmingham, Alabama; Clarence "Brother" Moss of Birmingham, Alabama; Jeffrey Scott Levin (Patricia) of Waco, Texas; eleven grandchildren and two great grandchildren. A celebration of life will be held at Cathedral Church of the Advent on Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers please send donations in Jerry's honor to Opera Birmingham at Hill Opera Center (www.operabirmingham.org/ways-to-give), 3601 6th Avenue South, Birmingham, Alabama 35222.