Obituary of MARC LEVY

On May 30th, 2023, Marc Levy died peacefully at his home in Scotch Plains, NJ, after a courageous battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal lobe dementia (FTD).

Marc was born to Susan and Paul Levy in 1967 in Troy, New York. He was raised in Park Slope, Brooklyn and graduated from Hunter College High School in Manhattan. Marc graduated from American University in Washington, DC, with a degree in Arts Administration. For more than 20 years living in Washington, DC, he served as a Finance Director at notable organizations, including the Association for Psychological Science; Friends Committee on National Legislation; the DC Jewish Community Center; and the Smithsonian Associates. In 2007, Marc moved back to Brooklyn, where he met and married his wife, Cathy Motamed. After moving to New Jersey, Marc worked part-time as a finance manager for [WORDS] Bookstore in Maplewood for 12+ years; however, he spent the bulk of his time as a committed caregiver to his children. He loved every minute of it, whether taking them bike riding, swimming, watching them do taekwondo, helping them with homework, or just enjoying their humor and hugs. Marc was brilliant, hilarious, and insightful. He was kind, caring, silly, and generous. Marc was an avid reader, loved to eat rich, delicious foods, was an exceptional whistler, and loved being in a swimming pool. He held strong moral and political convictions driven by his undying commitment to making the world more just and equitable. Marc traveled through Europe, the Near East, Africa, and Asia and revelled in experiences like safari in Kenya, shadow puppet plays in Bali, and hiking a volcano in Hawaii. Marc was keen to see humor in everything and loved sharing it with those closest to him. Marc will be missed more than words can express but will surely live on through stories and shared memories of those who knew and loved him.

Marc is preceded in death by his father, Paul and survived by his mother, Susan, his wife, Cathy Motamed and their two daughters, Talia and Madeleine. He was loved dearly by his in-laws, family, and many friends.

The funeral will be Friday, June 2nd, at 10:30 am at Temple Sholom, 1925 Lake Avenue, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076, with interment to follow at Beth Israel Cemetery in Woodbridge.

The family will sit shivah at home on Saturday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings from 6:00 pm, with a service at 7:30 pm each night. Sunday shiva will begin at 4:00 pm with a service at 7:30 pm. Shivah will be in Brooklyn at 797 Carroll St. Brooklyn, NY 11215 (up the stoop) from Wednesday to sundown Friday.

In place of flowers, Marc asked that people donate to The ALS Association, Compassion and Choices (compassionandchoices.org) or Temple Sholom (sholomnj.org).