Robert Kenyon Levering

1919 - 2011
On April 22, a failing heart brought to a close the life of Robert K. Levering, award-winning artist and teacher at Parsons The New School for Design. Born in Ypsilanti, Michigan, he spent his youth in Detroit, where his father was an Episcopal minister, and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1943. Asthma prevented World War II military service, so he worked in defense electronics factories, educating himself as an artist by attending night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago, the Dayton Art Institute and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Right after the war, he moved to New York City and joined The Cooper Studio's prestigious stable of illustrators.

Bob Levering never stopped educating himself. Even while he was producing illustrations for clients such as Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Boys Life, Pepsico, Stanley Tools, Ford, Buick, and The Lawn Tennis Association he was taking night classes with Reuben Tam at the Brooklyn Museum, visiting museums and galleries, attending sketch classes and studying art books. If Art was his major passion, there were others: Music--he played classical guitar, took drum lessons and loved jazz--and Science about which he read widely. He was just as interested in the people he encountered as he was in the world around him and as much a master at drawing out their enthusiasms as he was in sharing his. An interesting magazine article, a new book, a just discovered artist was sure to bring an excited phone call: You must read or see or listen to this!

Having ranged the world as a dedicated ham radio operator in his teens, he jumped at chances to travel. He relished assignments that sent him to Iran, Spain and Colombia. As a member of the Society of Illustrators, he took part in the U.S. Air Force Art Program. One of his paintings is in the Air Force Art Collection. He also received a gold medal from the Society for his painting of a South American trolley.

Over the years, Bob came to focus more and more on portraiture and collage, and in the late 1970s, he began teaching in the Illustration Department at Parsons. He threw himself into his new profession with all his formidable energy. Each semester for about 30 years he researched and created new lesson plans aimed at stimulating his students' curiosity, adjusting his teaching to what he saw as their current needs. In 2003 the school recognized his efforts with an award for teaching excellence.

He is survived by a cousin, Ned Jacoby, and host of devoted friends and former students. A memorial service will be held at 4 PM on June 21 in the chapel of the Unitarian Church of All Souls, 1157 Lexington Avenue (80th Street), New York.