PHYLLIS LEVIN

LEVIN--Phyllis Lee, 104, died of old age at home on November 27, 2025. Her work for The New York Times over four decades included the groundbreaking article From Sophocles to Spock (1960) and, as one of the first working mothers at the Times, the Parent and Child column. She published her first book, The Wheels of Fashion, in 1965, and her most recent one, John Quincy Adams and the Blessing of Liberty, in 2024. In between, her biographies included Abigail Adams (1987) and Edith and Woodrow (2001). She was a graduate of The Dalton School ('37), Colby-Sawyer College ('39) and Mount Holyoke College ('41). She was wife and partner for almost 60 years to Bill Levin, who predeceased her in 2005, and had four children, John Levin (and Louisa Swift), Peter (and Anna) Levin, Emme (and Jonathan) Deland, and Kate Levin, seven grandchildren, and twelve great- grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Marjory Berkowitz, and a flock of much-loved nephews and nieces and their descendants. Her boundless curiosity and deep and often amused engagement with the world around her made her an adored family matriarch and a valued friend and colleague, especially to the fabled women of the ninth floor of the Times. A memorial service will be held in Spring 2026. In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to any non-profit that you care about, because she probably cared about it too.