Francis Xavier (Frank) Levins Jr.

Francis Xavier Levins Jr., (Frank) of Newtown, originally of Philadelphia, passed away on Saturday, December 21, 2019 at the age of 76. Beloved husband of Elisabeth (nee Videira); father of Frank Sutton (Jessica) and Antoinette Conville (Michael); cherished Pop of Brianna Gramm (Sean), Brittni Crivaro (Kris), Michael Conville, Lilianna Conville, and Olivia Conville; beloved great grandpop of Logan Gramm; and caring brother of the late Mary Hemphill (Ken), Robert Levins (Helen), Charlotte Wolfe (Carl), the late Thomas Levins (Theresa), Gerard Levins (Barbara), Michael Levins (Cheryle), and Richard Levins (Katherine). Also surviving are many nieces and nephews. Frank was blessed with a large and loving (albeit strict) Irish-American family, having been born on Elfreth's Alley, the oldest continuously inhabited residential street in historic Philadelphia. As an adolescent, he danced on the Philadelphia-based show, American Bandstand, from 1957 until 1961, an impactful period of his life which resulted in many lifelong friendships. After going into military service in 1961, where he served in the 82nd Airborne Division in Fort Bragg, NC, Frank studied at Spring Garden College and then graduated from Drexel Institute of Technology. He was a mechanical engineer for 40-plus years and retired in 2014, with the latter part of his career spent mostly in sales. Widowed in 2000, Frank later married Elisabeth in 2002. They met during a ballroom dance weekend in the Catskills. Although endowed with an easygoing personality, Frank was passionate about a number of things in his life, one of which was his love and dedication to his twin granddaughters whom he helped raise with his late wife. In the latter chapter of his life after meeting Elisabeth, his love of dancing, food, history, and desire to explore other cultures "took flight." Most pronounced was his wanderlust, the need to see more and more of the world. In their 19 years together, they traveled to south and Central America, Southeast Asia, and eastern and western Europe. He also fell in love with Portugal, Elisabeth's birthplace, to which he traveled 18 times during their married life. There he acquired a taste for espresso coffee, whole fish, soccer, and grew to love his Portuguese family and the country's long history and heritage. At the end of every trip, Frank was always ready to re-pack his bags. He wanted to be remembered as a "nice guy" he would always say, doing the least amount of harm during his earthly passage, but keenly aware that he was not perfect and had not always done the right thing. As he aged, he came to appreciate family and friendships more and more, and became increasingly demonstrative about his deep feelings. He was the consummate gentleman and truly a "gentle man" with a quiet strength. Frank was also a strong believer that this life is not the end but only a bridge to another existence. Relatives and friends are invited to share in Frank's Life Celebration on Saturday, December 28, 2019 beginning at 9:30am followed by his funeral mass at 11:00am at The Olde Church of St. Andrew, 135 S Sycamore St, Newtown, PA 18940. Interment at Resurrection Cemetery in Bensalem, PA will follow. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions to The Wounded Warrior Project in Frank's memory would be greatly appreciated. To donate visit https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/