Margaret Poss Levy

A LIFE WORTH LIVING

Margaret fought injustice wherever she found it. For nearly fifty years, she was a criminal defense lawyer, representing poor desperate people searching for justice. She was one of the longest-serving - and most valuable - members of the board of the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut. She helped found a shelter for battered women in Hartford and was part of the effort to make marital rape a crime. Levy tutored immigrants in English and for the test that was their final hurdle to citizenship. Twenty years ago, she began mentoring a little girl from the inner city who remains a good friend. Horrified by the hatred shown to Muslims after 9-11, she worked to reduce the barriers between Jews and Muslims.



Levy was 80 years old and lived in West Hartford.



She died December 25, 2024, of advanced kidney disease. Determined to preserve the privacy that she craved, she told her closest friends not to broadcast details of her life - or her death. Months later, they agreed to share her story, details of which are unknown to many who knew her.



As a court-appointed lawyer in both state and federal courts in Connecticut, many of her clients were incarcerated, poor, addicted, or mentally ill. She was paid a fraction of what lawyers in even modest law practices earn but felt that being an advocate for people who had so little was how she could have the most impact. She remained a solo practitioner, a woman who, especially 50 years ago, encountered raised eyebrows if not negativity.

"She was willing to take on tough cases," said Ron Gold, a retired state public defender. "She was well prepared and fearless." Years ago, when there were few women in criminal law, Levy once made a legal argument before a judge whose response was condescending. She held her ground - but politely. "She wasn't going to get into an argument with the judge. She was a fighter," Gold said.

Levy worked for several years for Community Partners in Action, a non-profit organization that provides help and advocacy for people in the criminal justice system addressing issues like cash bond and pretrial detention.

In 1983, Levy was appointed to represent one of the defendants in the Hartford Wells Fargo robbery. A teen had stolen $7 million for the benefit of the Macheteros, a group of Puerto Rican independence fighters. The legal proceedings went on for more than 6 years, including an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Eventually, charges against Levy's client were dismissed and she stayed in touch with him and other defendants for years.

Levy attended ACLU meetings with copious annotations of the large quantity of board documents. "She would think critically about the issues, and was outspoken in a way that was productive so we could see all the ramifications of a decision," said David McGuire, the group's Executive Director. "She added a lot of integrity and depth to the board."

"She really knew the issues inside and out and didn't mind being the lone voice on something. She thought it was her obligation as a critical thinker and a lawyer," said McGuire, who credited Levy with mentoring him as a young lawyer. She won over clients who might have been inclined to mistrust a woman, and "her clients could tell she actually cared. They recognized that she wouldn't take the easy way out," McGuire said. Levy stepped down after 30 years on the board, but continued to serve on the legal committee until her illness progressed.

Margaret Brenda Poss was born November 11, 1944, and grew up in Croton on Hudson, N.Y., the daughter of Irving Poss, a dentist, and Lillian Poss, a teacher. She had a younger brother, Robert. She moved to New York after her father's death and attended New York Public High School's Bronx High School of Science for her junior and senior years. She attended Barnard College where she majored in zoology as a pre-med student and was elected representative of commuter students and president of the junior class. She married Leslie Levy, a high school boyfriend, after her junior year and the couple moved to the Midwest so Les Levy could attend graduate school. Margaret received her Barnard degree in 1966.

She taught first-grade and worked in data processing for the Aetna Insurance Company after the couple moved to Hartford, then she enrolled in the University of Connecticut School of Medicine. She decided that she was more interested in law, and switched to the UConn School of Law, where she was an evening division student. She graduated in 1974, by which time the couple was divorced.

She worked for a small law firm for several years, where her exposure to family law deepened her awareness of domestic violence. She became one of the founders of Interval House, a shelter and advocacy organization in Hartford and joined lobbying efforts to expand the definition of sexual assault laws to include marital rape. She advised staff members on legal strategies for victims and occasionally represented them in court. "She became a fierce feminist who worked tirelessly on improving the lives of women who struggled with domestic violence," said Loretta Wrobel, another co-founder. Levy served as co-president in 1984 and was a board member and supporter for more than 45 years.

Margaret was an active supporter of the many causes she believed in. She volunteered for committees of the West Hartford town government. She showed up for demonstrations supporting political causes she believed in and discussed her positions knowledgeably.

A descendant of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe, she was an advocate for migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and she volunteered at the Hartford Public Library for the past few years, teaching literacy and readiness for the citizenship exam.

She hosted interfaith Passover seders at her house and was deeply troubled by the prejudice shown towards Muslims following 9-11. She helped organize an informal group of Jews and Muslims called "We Refuse to Be Enemies" to encourage dialogue and friendship.

For all her serious endeavors, Margaret had a lighter side. She enjoyed road trips around New England, with stops at historic roadside markers, bookstores and cafés. She toured national parks in the West with a friend, and hiked until knee issues slowed them down. She loved movies, the theater and Chinese food. Her tastes and lifestyle were modest.

When her law school paralegal showed signs of stress while studying for the bar exam, Levy whisked her off to the beach and a seafood restaurant. The relationship continued, and today, Charity Hemingway is a special assistant public defender in the Manchester court. "I loved her spontaneity, her sense of humor," Hemingway said. "She cared very deeply about her clients...and was very attentive to their wishes and their long-term needs... She was the epitome of grace.''

About 20 years ago, Margaret heard of a little girl from the North End of Hartford who was interested in law, and she offered to be a mentor to Sonsharae Owens. The pair bonded, and Margaret introduced the girl to museums, libraries and plays and encouraged her reading and writing. "She helped me be a more diverse person, and conduct myself in a different space," said Owens, who graduated from high school and now works as a health aide and a security guard.

They stayed close, and their relationship moved from advice-giving to friendship as they went out to dinner or celebrated Thanksgiving at Margaret's house. "When she passed," Owens said, " I thought, will I ever interact with anyone so kind?"



Levy is survived by a niece and several cousins. Friends have donated a bench in Elizabeth Park to Levy, who loved gardens and visited frequently.