Odette Levi Port

1936 - 2025

Odette Sarfati Levi Port, 88, of Punta Gorda, Florida, passed away on Monday, February 3, 2025, in Punta Gorda, surrounded by Family.

Odette was born in Athens, Greece, on March 19,1936. She survived World War II and the Holocaust and the subsequent Greek Civil War. She and her parents escaped the Nazis by hiding in a mountain village near the Corinth Canal.

After the war, she and her parents were able to come to Houston, Texas, through the Displaced Persons Act in 1951. Odette started high school in Houston and added Spanish to her language repertoire of Greek, Ladino, French, and English.

She married Larry Levi, another Greek Jew and Holocaust survivor, at the age of 17, before even finishing high school. Odette brought Loretta and Susan into the world in 1957 and 1959. She later went to the University of Houston and attained a degree in education and was a Summa Cum Laude. She then taught in the Houston public schools for seven years.

Her final career was as an IRS auditor for 15 years, and she was very effective due to her language skills and her educational experiences.

Odette enjoyed many foreign experiences and traveled worldwide. She was a patron of the arts, especially opera and symphony. She became a folk dancer later in life with both the International Folk Dancers of Houston and the Hellenic Professional Society Dance Troupe, performing in many folk-life festivals, schools, churches, and nursing homes for over a decade.

After retiring from the IRS, Odette moved to Punta Gorda, Florida, in 2002, where she immediately sought civic engagement. Odette volunteered at the VisArts Center and joined the board of her condo association, serving as treasurer for a number of years. She joined Temple Shalom and became an indispensable member of the congregation, serving as First Vice President for many years. She was frequently running fund raisers, organizing Temple activities, and lovingly preparing baklava for numerous events.

She treasured her family and had a deep loving bond with her grandsons. She had a keen intellect, a commitment to lifelong learning, unwavering faith, and great love for humanity. Those that knew Odette well were profoundly impacted by her personality, charm, humor, and empathy. Her many amazing stories of her life are legendary. She truly created a life well lived.

Odette is survived by her children, Loretta Levi; Susan Levi (Victor Stekoll) and their children, Orion Levi Stekoll and Isaac Levi Stekoll; and Bryan Port (Tim Chamberlain); and her former husband, Bernard Port.

The Memorial Service will be on Sunday, March 9, 2025, at Temple Shalom, 23910 Utica Avenue, Port Charlotte, Florida, 33980.

In lieu of flowers, tribute donations in Odette's memory can be directed to: Temple Shalom of Port Charlotte, PO Box 494675, Port Charlotte, FL, 33949, or the Houston Holocaust Museum: go to hmh.org to make a tribute.

Friends may visit online at www.robersonfh.com to extend condolences to the family. Arrangements by Roberson Funeral Home Punta Gorda Chapel.