Obituary of Martin Irving Levine

Martin Irving Levine 70 of Canton, Connecticut, formerly of Bloomfield, CT, Santa Rosa, CA, New Orleans, LA and New York City passed away after a brief illness at 3:54 am at Yale New Haven Hospital on December 15, 2019. Martin was born October 24, 1949 in Hartford, CT to the late Milton and Louise (Slitt) Levine. Martin is survived by wife, Jacqueline (Riley) Levine of Brooklyn, New York, son Jordan Riley Levine and wife, Kaci Champagne of Austin, Texas and his mother and father-in-law Francis and Carol Riley. He is also survived by his two brothers, Robert Levine and wife Sunny and Jack Levine and wife Annette. Martin had a plethora of friends, too many to name.

Martin was known by most as Marty. He grew up in Bloomfield, CT and graduated Bloomfield High School in 1967, he continued his education at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio where he lived for six years.  It was there where Marty met some of his closest friends that were still a part of his life up until his passing.

Upon his return to Connecticut in 1973, Marty worked for his father as an electrician and then went on to open, “Easy FlowCurrent Company” in the mid-seventies. Marty’s charming personality and good looks made him a magnet for drawing people in, and once people got to know him, they couldn’t help but love him. Marty was often described by many as an enigma. There was really no one way to describe him and there was definitely no one like him, the mold was truly broken when Marty entered this universe. 

Marty had an extraordinary eye for design and art, his favorite period was Art Deco and he loved collecting interesting and beautiful pieces of art, pottery and antiques; so much so that he opened an antique store in the mid-eighties called 20th Century Classics in downtown Hartford. 

Marty loved to travel and one of his all-time favorite places was Negril, Jamaica where he reveled swimming in the blue-green Caribbean Ocean, walking the stretch of seven-mile beach and watching the striking sunsets. He spent much of his time in Northern California where many of his close friends lived. His best friend, Greg Anton, of almost 60 years had a band called Zero and Marty relished in going on tour with them and acting as their roadie. 

Marty’s life was eclectic, fascinating and interesting. An avid reader, master chess player and car collector, he loved his cars and to list them all would take up a page. His favorites included a 1956 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible, a 1966 Chevy SS Coupe, a 1966 Chevy SS convertible and his beloved 1980 Wide Glide Harley. 

In 1989 he married Jacqueline Riley and they had a son, Jordan who was the apple of his eye. The day Jordan was born changed Marty forever.  He enjoyed being a father and teaching his son to play chess at the age of three. His passion for books, especially sci-fi, was infectious as he got his son interested in reading. Until his passing he and Jordan were constantly exchanging books and discussing the latest ones they read. 

In 1993 Marty and his wife opened a restaurant and night club called the Blue Star Café in Hartford, where artists such as Taj Mahal, Jesse Colin Young, The Duke Ellington Orchestra and of course Zero all played.

Marty loved nature, sunsets, moon risings and bon fires, especially at his in-laws New Hampshire retreat where he spent many summers. 

In the last 20 years of his life Marty and his family lived in New Orleans and then New York. In reading tributes written by friends on social media, everyone agrees he was a gentle giant with a heart of gold.  People could not help but love Marty, his tender soul and his wonderful sense of humor. 

There is so much more to say about Marty and the impact he had on so many lives. May his soul rest in peace and know that he is dancing in the universe looking over us. Marty, we will see you on the other side and dance with you in the clouds.

All services are private and under the care of the Clancy-Palumbo Funeral Home (Clancy Funeral Home), 43 Kirkham Ave., East Haven.