Drew Philip Halevy passed away suddenly on Sunday, November 2, 2014. He was born on December 3, 1964 in Glen Cove, Long Island, New York to Steven and Patricia Halevy. He graduated from Paul D. Schreiber High School in Port Washington (1983), received a BA in Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (1988), an MA in Government from Lehigh University (1991), and Teaching Certification from the University of Arkansas (1992). He was, at the time of his passing, working on an MA in Education through Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.
He will be remembered by the many students whose lives he touched as a superb teacher, embodying all the qualities that truly enliven a classroom – a deep love for and knowledge of his subject matter, a wry sense of humor coupled with great intelligence, and an ability to draw the very best work out of his students with kindness and patience.
Drew’s other passions included antique and muscle cars, family genealogy, world history, and travel. He was a veteran of the U.S. Navy Reserves.
Drew was preceded in death by his father, Steven, his mother, Patty, and his brother, Ross. He leaves behind his loving wife Dianna, his son Max and mother-in-law, Barbara Hagar, of Celina, TX. He is also survived by his brother, Barry, his sister-in-law, Sally, his nieces, Eden and Sarah, and his nephew, Matthew, of Davidson, NC; his sister, Perri, his brother-in-law, Mickey, his nephew, Eli, and his niece, Alex, of Ithaca, NY; and his sister, Robin, of Big Pine Key, FL, his nephew, David, of Ithaca, NY; and his brother-in-law Dennis Hagar of Searcy, AR.
Beyond relatives, Drew leaves an extended community of friends, neighbors, colleagues, and past/present students – all of them fortunate enough to have been witness to his kindness, dedication and generous spirit. Drew’s exuberant love of life changed everyone who knew him.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to one or both of the following:
- The Franziska Racker Centers, c/o Perri LoPinto, 3226 Wilkins Rd., Ithaca, NY 14850. Also online at the Centers’ website: www.rackercenters.org
- Bishop Dunne Catholic School (bdhs.org), c/o Lydia Torrez, 3900 Rugged Dr., Dallas, TX 75224. Email : ltorrez@bdcs.org
Celebration of life memorials will be held as follows - on December 4, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. at Bishop Dunne Catholic School, 3900 Rugged Drive, Dallas, TX 75224; on December 16, 2014 from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 220 South Main Street, Bentonville, AR 72712; and April 2015 in Long Island, NY, date and location to be announced. Please email Perri LoPinto at perri@twcny.rr.com to be put on a list for information about dates and locations. Information also forthcoming via Facebook.