He was a man who was unapologetically himself and left a lasting impact on everyone he met.
Kevin was born in Fort Worth on September 3, 1956 to Helen and Raoul Levy. Kevin attended St Andrew’s Catholic School in Fort Worth. His father’s career in the grain business moved the family to Enid, Oklahoma and then to Houston where Kevin graduated from North Shore High School. Kevin attended the University of Oklahoma where he pursued a degree in political science and was a star on the debate team traveling to universities across the country to showcase his skills in critical thinking, logic, and confident speech.
His love for politics led Kevin to pursue his Juris Doctorate at the Deadman School of law at Southern Methodist University on the prestigious Sumner Scholarship. While at SMU, Kevin continued to participate in speech, debate, and moot court. He expanded on his passion for politics serving internships with David Boren, former governor of Oklahoma, and with the Speaker of the House’s office in Washington DC. After graduating law school, Kevin began his successful career in corporate law with Kelly, Hart & Hallman. In 1981, Suzanne Snaith stepped into Kelly Hart as a Legal Assistant and into Kevin’s heart. They were married on October 22, 1983 and welcomed their daughter, Mary Elizabeth in August 1985 and son, Michael in April 1989.
Kevin’s love for gardening and design blossomed into his creative outlet and passion project, Into the Garden. As they welcomed Stephen in 1993, they opened the first Into the Garden retail store location on Camp Bowie Blvd. While continuing his legal career as in-house counsel for the Keystone Group, Kevin expanded Into the Garden to Dallas and ran two retail locations as well as a thriving e-commerce business.
Kevin was a lifelong Catholic and gave his time and treasure to the Fort Worth Diocese and Saint Patrick Cathedral, singing for the church choir, serving as President of the Parish Council, and was a Knight of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. He had a deep love for the city of Fort Worth, often boasting statistics on the size and growth of the city to out of town work colleagues and strangers. He was a fervent supporter of cultural life in Fort Worth, serving on the board of the Fort Worth Zoo and as a benefactor of the Fort Worth Museum of Modern Art, the Kimbell Art Museum, The Amon Carter Museum of American Art, the Cliburn and the Fort Worth Botanic Garden.
Despite earning degrees from OU and SMU, Kevin was a passionate supporter of Texas Christian University, specifically TCU Athletics. Some of the family’s fondest memories revolve around home football games and following the Frogs on the road to bowl games.
Kevin had a zest for life and loved creating unforgettable experiences. He planned family trips and gatherings at “Oakcrest” that would bring his loved ones together. His family and friends will always treasure time spent together at “Serenity,” the family retreat in Lake Tahoe. Kevin loved to travel and always wanted to have a trip planned. Las Vegas and the Bahamas became favorite destinations, but he loved finding cruises or beach resorts, preferably with gambling! He especially treasured dinners and trips with family and dear friends.
Kevin was a walking encyclopedia and had an incredible memory. He loved music, music videos and concerts. He was always ahead of trends, knew something about everything and never met a stranger. Everyone who knew Kevin will miss his leadership, his personality and his ability to make life special.
He is survived by his wife, Suzanne; three children, Mary Elizabeth and husband, Josh, Michael and wife, Beka, and Stephen and wife, Natalie; grandchildren, Mary Frances, George, Veronica Van Meter, and Elizabeth Ann Levy; two brothers, William Levy of Arlington, Texas and Dr. Brian Levy and his wife, Jane of Edmond, Oklahoma; and sister, Mary Levy of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Kevin was preceded in death by his parents and sister-in-law, Sandy Levy.
Funeral Mass will be held 11:00 a.m., Saturday, December 21, 2024, at St. Mary of The Assumption Catholic Church, 509 W. Magnolia Avenue, Ft. Worth, Texas with burial at Greenwood Memorial Park in Ft. Worth. Following the Funeral Mass a reception will be held at River Crest Country Club in Ft. Worth.
Memorial donations may be made in memory of Kevin Levy to the Fort Worth Garden Club, 3220 Botanic Garden Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas 76107.