Sad news has reached us out of Florida with the announcement of the death of Gary Levin. If you ever met Gary, you will remember a quiet unassuming leader who was an invaluable asset to the many charities that he helped along the way with his efforts and the USTS. He and his longtime friends Bill Hosler and the everywhere man Ralph Donald were instrumental in doing three World Championships in Florida with the organization they founded called Race for Kids.
Gary gave great credit to his late wife Mary in helping name the events and the Race for Kids. I smiled as I wrote this line, as I had a vision of Mary standing on the Spirit World side of the Veil, reaching her hand out to her beloved husband Gary to escort him into the eternities to be reunited once again forever. That gives me a bit of salve to my being knowing All is Well.
Gary worked tirelessly to promote Race for Kids and the needs of special need and disadvantaged kids. His group helped the Lions Club to provide a camping experience with their very first effort, but look at what followed with their mission is to promote boat racing that benefits groups such as the Lake Wales Kiwanis to help build Barney’s Dream; named for a boy that was confined to his wheelchair his entire life; Troop 113 Auburndale Boy Scouts; Lake Alfred Little League; Florida Lions Camp – a camp for challenged children; Citrus Center Boys and Girls Club of East Polk County; Autism Speaks; St. Jude’s Children Hospital; The Humana Society of Polk County for its Paws to Read Program; Sunshine Foundation Dream Village and American Diabetes Association for Juvenile Diabetes.
Gary will never be forgotten for all that he did for the charities that he worked with and the mark he left on people and those who he was always willing to work tirelessly to help. May he rest in peace and joy with his reunion with his sweet Mary.
Ray