Jay Levitt

1964 - 2022

On November 24, 2022, Jay Bradley Levitt left this world in the same way he lived his life: on his own terms, with a heart full of love, surrounded by those who cherished him most. Born to Richard Sander Levitt (of blessed memory) and Jeanne Strauss Levitt in Des Moines, Iowa on May 26, 1964, the seeds of Jay's life were sown in a tightly knit Jewish community steeped in Midwestern values. It is here, through the example of his parents and grandparents, that he developed some of his most indelible characteristics: commitment to family, dedication to hard work, and a sense of responsibility to make the world a better place. Many of the friendships Jay developed during these early years sustained and supported him throughout his entire life.

While his upbringing in Iowa laid the foundation for Jay's incredible life, his unbounded curiosity and sense of adventure brought him to the shores of Southern California to make his unique mark on the world. After graduating from the University of Iowa in 1986, he moved to San Diego, which would remain his home for the next 36 years. In 1988, he met the woman with whom he would forge a life-long partnership, Jennifer Ridenhour Levitt. Together, they would cultivate their shared passions, support one another in their individual pursuits, and create a life based on love, integrity, adventure, and giving back. The couple was married in 1993, and in the year 2000 they created their most prized mutual collaboration, their beloved daughter Gabrielle Dean Levitt. Jay's wife and daughter were the most cherished aspects of his life and would remain the center of his universe in the context of his professional endeavors and personal adventures.

Jay spent the early years of his professional career in the hospitality and property management industries, but soon discovered that working on someone else's terms wasn't really his style. In the early 1990's Jay embarked on the path of serial entrepreneur. A rebel at heart, Jay continually "disrupted" industry conventions in a variety of fields. Over the years, he broke paths in the wireless communications and residential mortgage industries, always pushing boundaries to create better ways of reaching and serving his clients. Jay was most proud of his achievements in the sleep wellness space, where he created Lofta, a company dedicated to treating the life-threatening condition of sleep apnea in an accessible and consumer-centric way. Through Jay's vision and innovation, Lofta continues to improve the lives of thousands of people by allowing them a good night's sleep. While Jay achieved much financial success through his professional pursuits, the passions that truly fueled his business endeavors were creativity, a commitment to impacting lives, and a desire to create work environments that exuded his unique spirit. The work spaces that Jay created were dynamic, fueled by his unbounded energy, commitment to excellence, and perhaps most indelibly, by his larger than life, fun loving energy.

While Jay's professional achievements were many, his true vocation was living life to the fullest with the people he loved. Lovingly dubbed "the Pied Piper of fun," Jay exuberantly created joy-filled experiences centered around travel, family and friends, time near the water, his love of music, and of course, excellent food. While Jay loved travel of all kinds, he was happiest in a tropical environment, on one of his various boats, enjoying the magic of the ocean and its surroundings. In these contexts, every day was an opportunity for Jay to create a new adventure, only meaningful if he could share it with others. This was his true calling. During such experiences, Jay spread his generous heart, his buoyant spirit, and his zest for life with everyone he encountered, endearing himself to many across international, class, and cultural boundaries.

In the final years of Jay's life, he approached his cancer diagnosis the same way he lived his life, with boundless courage, empathy for others, and "out of the box" thinking that extended both the quality and longevity of his life. Neither self-pity nor fear were part of Jay's cancer journey, rather he valiantly pursued every available treatment that would potentially lead to more time with his loved ones, no matter how difficult. Moreover, he saw beyond his own experience and wanted people to learn from his journey, namely encouraging all to live their lives to the fullest, to distill out the things that matter most, and to leave the rest behind. Again, thinking beyond his own experience, Jay generously companioned organizations and institutions that seek to cure cancer through innovation and scientific collaboration.

Jay will be missed by everyone whose life he touched, but most dearly by his family: his mother Jeanne Levitt of Des Moines, IA, two brothers, Randall Levitt (Johanna) and Mark Levitt (Kay) of Bethesda, MD, and sister, Beth Tross (Nate) of Chicago, IL. We are comforted to know that wherever his boundless spirit lies, Jay is eternally in the loving arms of his father, Richard Levitt. Jay's passing will most deeply impact his wife, Jennifer Levitt, and daughter, Gabrielle Levitt. Gabrielle was the single best thing that ever happened to Jay and she is a beautiful manifestation of his legacy. She has inherited many things from her father, most notably his generosity, love of animals, compassion for those most vulnerable, his irreverent sense of humor, and his intolerance for pretense.

Countless researchers and healthcare professionals made Jay's cancer journey more tolerable with their kindness and expertise. His family is especially grateful for the care provided by the nurses at Moores Cancer Infusion Center at UC San Diego and the Oncology and Palliative wards of Jacobs Medical Center at UCSD. We also extend a special thank you to his oncologist, Dr. Aaron Miller, who cared for Jay with insight, compassion, and wisdom. Finally, we are thankful for the exceptional guidance offered by Private Health Management throughout Jay's journey. In particular, we thank Jennifer Pena and Eva Gordon who were always in Jay's corner and, like him, never left a stone unturned in fighting his battle.

Jay would be touched by donations in his honor to Curebound or Moores Cancer Center Immunotherapy Innovation Fund at UC San Diego. Otherwise, or in addition, the best way to remember Jay is to listen to your favorite rock and roll song (loudly!), walk on the beach, or kiss a loved one and think of him.