Norton A. Levy

Norton Levy Obituary

LEVY, Norton A. Of Newton, on Tuesday, November 4, 2008. Beloved husband of the late Susan (Aronson). Devoted mother of Jocelyn Zaslaw and Jeffrey Levy. Loving grandmother of Jacob and Maya. Services at Levine Chapels, 470 Harvard St., BROOKLINE on Friday November 7, 2008 at 11AM. Interment at Beth El Cemetery, West Roxbury. Friends are invited to visit with the family at the home of Jocelyn & Richard Zaslaw on Saturday & Sunday. In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Norton A. Levy Memorial Scholarship Fund c/o Concord Carlisle Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 217, Concord, MA 01742 (www.ccscholarshipfund.org ). Levine Chapels, Brookline 617-277-8300

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Published by Boston Globe on Nov. 6, 2008.

Memories and Condolences
for Norton Levy

9 Entries

Peter Deraney

December 13, 2008

It is with great sadness that I heard of Norton Levy's passing. He was a major influence in my life as a teenager and in my choice of a career as a math teacher. Here are a few of many memories:

-SMSG (Some Math, Some Garbage) - New Math - I may have been among the few to enjoy it.

-Norton tracking students down in lunch hall to give them an assignment that they missed.

-Working with him to compile a list of people in the community with careers in math and science who could provide students an introduction to the way math is used in the "real world." Then visiting some of these people at Lincoln Labs and other places The guy I most remember created a rudimentary computer out of paper and pins.

-Summer jobs at Avco and Parke Math Labs Norton helped me get.

-Being "encouraged" (he wouldn't take no for an answer) to join the rifle club, which he coached. Traveling to meets in his 1950's Chevy station wagon from which Norton had removed all brand names - he did not believe he should be forced to advertise for the car company.

-Finding out he was an athlete (hit the longest homerun at the summer camp where he worked) and a successful card and pool shark.

-His role in bringing Ted Hersey to Concord High school to teach us Russian on Saturdays.

-Honoring and being honored by him at his retirement dinner.

-Meeting his family and baby sitting one day for his young daughter.

-Appreciating his attendance at my mother's memorial service - the last time I saw him.

Truly a life passionately and fully lived, dedicated to helping others reach their potential. My best to his family.

-

Steve Winter

November 17, 2008

Norton Levy's Favorite Problem as told to Steve Winter in August 2007.

For all of those former students of Mr. Levy here is your last chance for extra credit!

Consider a cube of side length = 1.
Balance it on one vertex on a plane.
Consider the projection of the cube in this orientation on the plane.
What is the shape of the projection and what is its area?
A projection here is that set of points on the plane a perpendicular from which passes through the cube.
In this orientation one perpendicular from the plane passes through the diametrically opposed vertex of the cube from the vertex that the cube is balanced on.

If you do this problem successfully in your head without paper and pen, you get double extra credit.
Good luck and thanks to Norton Levy for this problem.

Marvin Axelrod

November 11, 2008

Norton was a wonderful example of Latin School and its influence on others. He dedicated himself to students and academia.We will miss him. Marvin Axelrod

Leslie Phillips

November 10, 2008

To the family of "Mr. Levy": I am so sorry for your loss. Our loss. All students' loss. I was in the first freshman class of Concord-Carlisle and he was one of my first high school teachers. It was 1960. Honors Algebra I. He got through to me like no teacher I had ever known. What a guy. I've never forgotten him. I still remember his classes and, in my mind, I can still see him at the board as clearly now as then. AND, I still remember everything he taught me. Thanks for sharing him with us.

Leslie Brown Phillips
CCHS Class of 1964

Elliot Shapiro

November 8, 2008

My sincerest condolences to Norton's family. I remember him well from our days at BLS. Elliot Shapiro, Buffalo NY

Gregory Byrd

November 7, 2008

May he rest in peace.

CCHS class of 1980

Norton with his daughter and family on Maine adventure

Steve Winter

November 7, 2008

Norton Levy:

A great great teacher.
Immensely dedicated.
Highly motivating.
Inspiring.
The best teacher I ever had.
Many students became as much as they could become because of Norton Levy.

Once in high school several of the math team guys signed up for "auto mechanics" as an elective (we were turning 16 and getting driver's licenses) ... but none of us were very surprised or protested when our class assignments came out and we were scheduled for "math club" instead. Norton was again applying "stick and rudder".

He would run special classes even in the summer to further challenge some students (calculus to sophmores etc.).
He always had extra credit problems and we all worked on them no matter how much extra credit we had.
He would take students to ball games or chinese restaurants or on other adventures at his expense.
Before he had his own family, his students were his primary family -- a very large family.

Fair winds and following seas to Norton Levy.

Steve Cohen

November 6, 2008

I am really sorry for your loss. Norton was a very cool
guy. We will miss the chance to work with Norton at Waldorf.

Jodi Manis

November 6, 2008

Dear Jocelyn, Richard, Jake and Maya,

You are in our hearts and prayers at this very difficult time. We are very sorry for your loss.

Jodi, Beth and Jacob

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