Marshall Levine

Marshall S. Levine, forever a Free Spirit, age 89 of Wayne, Pennsylvania, passed away from natural causes on March 16, 2023, in his cherished home of 53 years.

In his own words, Marshall "survived 89 boring years interrupted by starting five companies, being awarded fifteen patents, sailing across the Atlantic and back with his two sons, having three wives (and some girlfriends) and a brace of grandchildren and stepchildren."

Born in 1933 in Worcester, Massachusetts to parents, Helen Friedman and Charles Levine, Marshall joked that he was "such a disappointment that they never had another child." Beginning life as a non-practicing Jew, he became a non-practicing Secularist, then a non-practicing Unitarian, and in the final year of his life, a non-practicing Quaker who struggled to keep quiet.

In 1955, he earned a mechanical engineering degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, where he started the ROTC Band as an excuse to play his clarinet and to avoid having to attend the more traditional early morning drill practice. Ever the inventor/entrepreneur and always more comfortable at the helm than following orders, he went on to found and co-found multiple companies including Geometric Data Corporation, a subsidiary of SmithKline; Thermal Data; Numar; Alpha Scientific Corporation; and the Institute for Human Development, a Philadelphia based nonprofit. He developed numerous medical devices and other instruments with long-term impact on blood testing, early illness detection, and residential energy conservation. He achieved breakthrough technological success in fields ranging from the use of pattern recognition to optically analyze the morphology of white blood cells to the development of a nuclear magnetic resonance tool in the oil logging industry, as well as innovative computer-based marketing tools for the fuel oil industry and a line of disposables in the clinical laboratory that have been used billions of times across the globe. A born tinkerer, constantly trying to improve the world around him to suit his vision, he combined technological insight with a keen focus on marketing and business acumen. In recognition of his chutzpah and talent, he received the Robert H Goddard Award for Outstanding Professional Achievement from his alma mater in 2005.

After sailing his Free Spirit across three of the seven seas, and then starting Alpha Scientific Corporation with his two sons, he retired to a life filled with music, writing, and generosity. He picked up his clarinet again-the same instrument which 65 years ago had been confiscated at customs on his return from Paris. Always an unconventional problem solver, he convinced the agent to lend him a knife so he could scratch out the "S," thereby converting his "Selmer" to an "elmer" and removing it from the banned import list. In addition to the clarinet, he added the flute to his repertoire and spent hours a day practicing in preparation for his annual performance with the SummerTrios. And when his playing wasn't improving, he would focus his attention on improving the instruments themselves-designing and fabricating novel reeds, mouthpieces, and straps. While his musical taste was classical, his approach to playing and life was completely avant-garde.

Proudly claiming to have read fewer than two dozen books, Marshall became a writer late in life self-publishing his memoir in November 2020 (which he denied having read, of course). Always a master storyteller, he was inspired by his beloved second wife Rena and a writing course they took together to produce a series of witty and irreverent essays describing his early childhood, his adventures on the high seas, his life as an inventor, as well as his many and varied business ventures. Years after Rena had passed, and with the encouragement and technical support of his darling Kit, he returned to the essays and collected them into his memoir which he gave freely to all that knew him... and to many that didn't. In addition to his humorous writings, he was a deep and intellectual thinker and produced thought provoking essays on life, religion, and politics that he shared and debated with friends and family.

Generous with his time and treasure, he freely spent his "hard-earned savings on causes and worthy hopefuls." Marshall made friends wherever he went, collecting strangers of all ages, and turning them into close companions. He nurtured the raw talent and ambitions of others through investment in their professional and intellectual pursuits, sharing his wisdom, and making connections. He especially enjoyed the satisfaction of helping people directly: sponsoring an immigrant; securing a scholarship; co-signing a loan to help someone start a business; paying for another's education; or eliminating someone's credit card debt with a no-interest loan and a handshake to pay him back (some-day). He found tremendous pleasure in the relationships that ensued and the many against-the-odds success stories that he helped along the way.

His phone frequently rang with prospective entrepreneurs on the other end that had been told, "you got to talk to Marshall." He became a strategic adviser to many nascent businesses and loved to share his insights. He was notorious for destroying dreams with his "Yeah Buts," "Watch Out Fors," and "Brutal Honesty"-believing that it was always better to fail quickly and inexpensively than to waste precious time and money. During the energy crisis in the 70's, he helped a minister in Philadelphia in a community struggling with unemployment, to create a business to train and employ hundreds of individuals in the HVAC industry to renovate and insulate buildings in low-income neighborhoods that had been receiving fuel subsidies. The effort received federal and state funding and became a model for the nation. Until he died, he was still advising a non-profit in D.C. on novel ways to eliminate health care debt and another business in Texas in the oil logging industry.

Known affectionately as Papa Boo, Papa Marshall, Mr. Marshall, and Marsh, he is survived by his two sons and their spouses, David and Maren Levine and Daniel Levine and Heather Fitzgerald; and his grandchildren, Sarah, Noah, Emily, Sam, and Hannah; his first wife Mildred who he credited with opening his eyes to issues of social justice, supported him immensely in his business pursuits, and brought him the incredible joy of family; and his former wife Harriet with whom he shared a passion for music and the arts; and predeceased by his beloved second wife Rena who enriched his life with friends, travel, and family.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, April 2nd at 1 pm at the Main Line Unitarian Church in Devon, Pennsylvania and live streamed at https://mluc.org/live-online-service/.

In lieu of flowers, which made Marshall sneeze, the family asks that you keep his spirit alive - engage with a stranger, make a friend, and if someone needs a hand, find a way to "Marshall" their success.

Gifts honoring Marshall are appreciated at any of the following organizations: Summertrios.org, which provided Marshall with so much musical joy; TzedekDC.org which tackles the problem of health care debt; or to SurreyServices.org which enables independent spirits like Marshall to enjoy living at home as they age.