Richard D. Levy

Richard D. Levy, 68, of Clarks Summit, died peacefully Tuesday evening at Allied Services Hospice Center in Scranton, surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his wife of 31 years, the former Paula Ceccacci.

Born in Scranton on October 12, 1951, he was the son of the late Bernard and Elaine Bielefeld Levy.  He was a proud 1969 graduate of Scranton Central High School and a proud 1973 graduate of Penn State University, where he was a member of the Beta Sigma Rho fraternity.  He spent 34 years in the shoe industry with B. Levy & Sons, a four-generation footwear wholesaler and retailer, and later Pazzo Inc., a women’s shoe importer.  During his 24 years with B. Levy & Sons, Rick held many positions in the wholesale and importing divisions and opened accounts in Italy, Spain, Greece, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Taiwan, and China.  He also supervised the opening of 22 retail units in Northeastern Pennsylvania, upstate New York, and the New Jersey sea shore.  Following his retirement from the shoe industry, Rick utilized his diverse business knowledge and local roots practicing as a commercial realtor for Hinerfeld Commercial Real Estate.

Rick was proud of his Jewish faith and was a member of Temple Hesed.  The local Jewish community was dear to his heart and he supported various causes and organizations to ensure its future prosperity.  He and his wife, Paula, became members in perpetuity of the Jewish Community Center in Scranton in 2013.  He also took tremendous pride in administering the Jacob and Mary Levy Philanthropic Fund.

Rick was sharp, intelligent, affable, loyal, and had a terrific sense of humor.  His many passions included movies, World War II history, sports, and the smaller things in life such as reading the newspaper and watching the nightly news.  He was an avid golfer and a longtime member of the Glen Oak Country Club where he served on leadership boards and enjoyed mentoring younger and newer members.  This past October, on his 68th birthday and eighteen months post his cancer diagnosis, Rick captured his first ever hole-in-one.  He was also a religious supporter of Penn State athletics and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

His wife, Paula, and his sons, Brian and Justin, were the loves of his life.  He was endlessly proud of their accomplishments and they remain equally proud of him, his guidance, and moral compass.  He instilled in them the importance of family, happiness, work ethic, and respect.  Rick taught them many lessons, but especially those of toughness and acceptance.  He accepted every challenge that came into his life with strength and even-handedness.  He was truly a fighter and lover of life.  

In addition to his wife, Richard is survived by their sons, Brian and Justin; his sister, Barbra Goldberg and husband Howard; nieces and nephews, Lindsay Steiner and husband Mike, Erica Horodniceanu and husband Eran, Michael O’Malley and wife Lauren, Nancy Fisch and husband Robert, and Shawna Marx and husband Danny; as well as numerous great-nieces and great-nephews, aunts, uncles, cousins, and sister-in-law Cheri O’Malley, and brother-in-law Shawn O’Malley.

He was also preceded in death by his parents-in-law, Paul and Nancy Ceccacci.

The funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at Temple Hesed, 1 Knox Road, Scranton, with services by Rabbi Daniel Swartz and Cantor Vladimir Aronzon.  The family will be greeting attendees from 9:30 a.m. until the time of service.  Interment to follow in Temple Hesed Cemetery, Dunmore.

Family and friends will be received during shiva at the Glen Oak Country Club, 250 Oakford Road, Clarks Summit, on Sunday from 1-4 p.m. and Monday from 6-8 p.m. 

Memorial contributions may be made to the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation,  at www.cholangiocarcinoma.org/donate; Allied Services Hospice Center, 511 Morgan Hwy., Scranton, PA 18508; the Jewish Federation of Northeastern Pennsylvania, 601 Jefferson Ave., Scranton, PA 18510; or to the donor’s favorite charity. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Richard D. Levy, please visit our floral store.