Jack L. Levens

Jack Loren Levens, 77, passed on Thursday, February 13, 2025.
Funeral services: 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at Mount Olivet Chapel. Interment: Mount Olivet Cemetery, Visitation: 8:30 - 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 18, 2025, at Mount Olivet Chapel.
Jack was born in Fort Worth, Texas. After traveling the world in the military, he lived in a variety of Texas cities, including Harker Heights, Bryan College Station, Tyler, Rogers, and Belton. His adventures led him to cities and rural communities-all of which he loved and created a home in each one. Jack and Darenda (Dee) were married for 56 years. They had two daughters, Janene and Darla, and gained two sons-in-law, Neil and Jonathan. He was proud to have six grandchildren: Nathan, Matthew, Madison, Loren, Michael, and Malachi. The family grew when Lauren and Mari were added. He has one great-grandson, Peter.
Jack started his education at the side of his big brother, John, where Jack attended John's classes with him despite his young age, which put Jack well ahead of his peers. He excelled in high school by being the band major, played a multitude of sports, and was selected to represent Texas on an aerospace engineering trip to Chicago. He continued to excel when he pursued college and his master's while working multiple jobs, being married, and starting a family. He earned his LMSW-ACP. As a husband and father, he supported Dee, Janene, and Darla through their college and postgraduate experience and offered wisdom beyond the classroom walls. No longer a student himself, he pursued educating others, be it at a kitchen table, a car ride of pop quizzes, a phone call for help, while playing any sport, a Sunday School classroom, a college classroom, a nursing home lobby, a podium at a conference, or in front of a camera from his motorhome. Jack listened more than he talked, but when he talked, it was instructional, informative, supportive, scriptural, and, most often, wrapped in humor, whether laughing at himself or making you laugh.
Jack served twenty-one years in the Army as a commissioned officer in the MEDDAC division and retired in 1992 as a lieutenant colonel. During his time in the military, he held different roles, including leading the drug and alcohol program in Ft. Wainwright, Alaska; family counseling in West Point, New York; and serving as Chief of Social Work in Darnall Army Hospital, Fort Hood, Texas. His heart was to serve others, and he was able to do so by supporting soldiers throughout their military experiences. His military career allowed him to travel the world with his family, including living in South Carolina, South Korea, Tennessee, Alaska, New York, and returning to his home state of Texas, where he retired and continued his support of soldiers as a private practice social worker until October 31, 2024. Career accolades, although honorable, were not Jack's focus. He easily excelled in anything he did. His focus-his main career in life-was to be concerned with others and their well-being. His gift beyond his intelligence was his insight into others and problem-solving, refocusing direction, and providing wise comfort in any situation.
Respected on every court he played, whether in left-handed racquetball to level the playing field despite being right-handed, or achieving the lowest score on the golf course, there was a sport he couldn't master. Gifted in math and science, his quick understanding of numbers and engineering served him well and let him achieve high honors throughout life. There wasn't a problem set he couldn't solve-including inventing his own math theorem in middle school that proved to be a version of a high-level calculus theorem. A self-taught musician, he played any song he heard on the piano or trumpet. There wasn't a joke he couldn't tackle and enhance. Whether he genuinely improved it or made it the ultimate dad joke was left up to individual interpretation.
A devoted servant of faith since childhood, he lived out his beliefs openly. Whether he was guiding teens in Fort Worth through Teen Challenge, playing his trumpet in worship services at any church he attended, sharing the Gospel in nursing homes, or engaging in one-on-one conversations on a golf course, racquetball court, or church setting, his commitment was unwavering. Quietly, he showed his faith to others by living out faith without fear. The Bible was his source of wisdom. He leaned not on his own understanding. He and Darenda prayed together daily and led their daughters in family prayer often. He prayed daily for his sons-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchild, nephews, and nieces. He loved and shared time with the Graeff and Snead families and was blessed to call them friends. He loved and shared time with community members, many of whom regarded him as their spiritual father-like figure in their lives. Although always close to the Lord, since 2021 his faith has been observed by countless communities who have been touched by his unrelenting pursuit of the ocean of truth and would not succumb to the waves of facts. So many physicians, nurses, community members, family, and friends were impacted by his faith and grew in their spiritual journey because of his words of encouragement. His focus was to "only say what his Father says," often quoting scripture as the sole source of comfort and wisdom.
Jack was preceded in death by his younger brother, Joe.
Jack is survived by his wife, daughters, sons-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandson, his older brother, John, sisters-in-law, Darlene and Betty, nephews, Brent and Brad, and nieces, Beverlea and Kristine.
MOUNT OLIVET CHAPEL
Greenwood Funeral Homes - Cremation
2301 N. Sylvania Avenue, Fort Worth, TX 76111
817-831-0511