54.0°,
Mostly Cloudy Edwina ‘Cookie’ Levin, 89
Comforted family members in times of stress
Edwina “Cookie” Levin (née Ettinger) crocheted hundreds of yarmulkes for many family bar and bat mitzvahs, knitted handmade sweaters for babies, and hats and scarves galore, her daughter Joanne Levin said.
Most of all she loved her family, and it was a huge one that included great-nieces and great-nephews, and many friends.
Levin died on July 8. She was 89.
Born in Brooklyn in 1927, she grew up mostly in Belle Harbor on the Rockaway peninsula in Queens. While attending Brooklyn College and studying bookkeeping, she met Ralph Levin. They married in 1950 and settled in Hewlett.
They lived in the Five Towns for 66 years and had two children. Ralph, 93, worked in the floor covering business selling carpet and tile. “‘Cookie’ used her sharp math skills to work part-time as a bookkeeper, commuting to Manhattan for ten years,” said Joanne Levin, the medical director of infection prevention at Cooley Dickinson Health Care in Northampton, Mass.
Joanne said her mother was known for being nurturing, easy-going and nonjudgmental. “Many nieces and nephews sought solace in her company, and in her potato latkes, during their tumultuous teenage years,” Joanne said.
Her birthday and anniversary cards would arrive annually like clockwork. Children loved to visit her, as she would sit on the floor or at the kitchen table to play or color. There were always cookies in Cookie’s pantry. She fondly remembered friends and neighbors, and people she met during her 10-year tenure volunteering at South Nassau Community Hospital in Oceanside.
Ralph retired in 1989 and his wife provided “loving care” for him, Joanne said, and managed their move last fall to the Inn at Lathrop in Easthampton, Mass., an assisted living community of 50 apartments. Ralph continues to live there. “After moving to Easthampton, Cookie quickly endeared herself to both residents and staff at the Lathrop communities,” Joanne said.
Cookie is survived by her loving husband Ralph Levin, daughter Joanne Levin (John Joelson) of Northampton; son David of Port Jefferson, best friend and sister Pearl Weiss of East Rockaway; beloved grandchildren Michael of New York City; Rya Hollander (Marc) of Venice Beach, Calif.; Jacqueline Kluger (Andy) of Brooklyn; and Sarah Joelson, of Providence; brother-in-law Ben Alter of Miami; dear nieces and nephews Jane Schwartz (Michael) of East Rockaway; Diane Sansoterra (Tom) of Rathdrum, Idaho; David Weiss of Auburndale, Mass.; Helene Weiss of New York City; Bob Weiss (Robin Miller) of Needham, Mass.; Robert Stone (Toby) of East Rockaway; Stuart Stone (Sharron) of East Rockaway; Carolyn Horowitz and Ronald Alter (Margie) of Florida, and many dear great-nieces and great-nephews.
A funeral service was held at Boulevard-Riverside-Hewlett Chapel on July 10. She was interred at Mt. Ararat Cemetery in Lindenhurst.
Cookie requested that donations be sent to Hadassah Hospital, United Jewish Appeal or the organization of your choice.
