Robert E. Levy

LEVY, ROBERT Robert E. Levy of Waco died Wednesday morning at Providence Health Center after a brief illness. He would have been 96 on July 15th and last year celebrated the 75th anniversary as drum major of the Texas Longhorn band by leading the present band into the same stadium. He was an ardent fan and supporter of the University of Texas and all of it’s athletic programs. Graveside services will be held at 1:00 PM on Friday, May 18th at the Hebrew Rest Cemetery with Rabbi Mordecai Podet officiating. The family will be at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey, 6101 Bosque Blvd. from 6:00-8:00 PM on Thursday, May 17th. Born in Marlin, Levy was the youngest son of a pioneer Falls County family, attending elementary schools in Marlin but finishing his public education in Waco at Waco High School after his mother was widowed and moved to Waco. Levy graduated from the University of Texas where, as drum major he led the first Longhorn band entering Memorial Stadium in 1924. Fifty years later, he again led the band at a rededication of the stadium. Mr. Levy trained as a securities analyst in New York on Wall Street and attended night school at Columbia University. He worked a year in Dallas for a brokerage firm as a customer’s broker, then opened his own securities business in Waco under the name of Robert E. Levy and Company. He was preceded in death by his wife of 54 years, Elva Sanger Godshaw and his daughter, Carolyn Levy Greenberg. His wife Elva was the granddaughter of Sam Sanger, a prominent Central Texas merchant. Levy served in several executive positions at the Wells-Fargo Bank, originally the First National Bank of Waco, for 36 years, retiring last year. Mr. Levy was one of the organizers of KWTX Broadcasting Company in 1945 and served as shareholder and director for 55 years. Levy was active in community affairs, having served with the Junior Chamber of Commerce, Waco Downtown Rotary Club and was former president and Vice-President of the Ex-Students’ Association-University of Texas. He also served as Vice-President of the Board of Trustees at the Temple Rodef Sholom, was a United Fund worker and budget committee member, Director of Waco Art Center and a member of the Board of Trustees and former Vice president of the Waco Public Library. He is survived by two grandchildren, Ruth Levy Bernstein and her husband David of Brookline, Massachusetts, Daniel Greenberg of Little Rock, Arkansas and son-in-law Paul Greenberg of Little Rock, AR and three nephews, Melvin August of San Antonio, Jack Levy of Dallas, and Jay Naman of Waco. The honorary pallbearers are Buddy Bostick, Bill Roddy, Arnold Miller, Toxey Cathey, Louis Muldrow, Carroll Sturgis, Harry Wood, Jack Phillips and Ed Katten. The family requests that memorial donations be made to preferred charities in lieu of flowers. WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY