Jessie L S Newbauer

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Alan...

This is the article that was written about Alan. I just wanted to share it... For those of you that don't know, Alan is my step-dad's father.

Tuesday, February 10, 2009 7:53 AM CST

Pawnbroker Alan Levi dies


Alan Levi
COURIER FILE PHOTO
By PAT KINNEY, News Editor

WATERLOO --- A longtime Waterloo pawnbroker and operator of one of the city's oldest businesses has died after an 18-month battle with cancer.

Alan Levi, the third-generation operator of Levi Bros. Jewelry & Loan in downtown Waterloo, died Monday at home. He was 67.

Levi Bros. celebrated its 100th anniversary of business in 2008. Alan Levi had run the business his Polish immigrant grandfather established for 26 years. He has been working in the shop since age 9, initially hauling boxes and sanding scratched gun stocks.

The business has been in downtown Waterloo for its entire existence, first at 520 Lafayette St., and in its current location at 306 E. Fourth St. for 60 years, since 1949.

The colorful Levi was widely known to eastern Iowans for his "Santa Levi" television commercials during the holidays, in which he donned a Santa Claus cap. The idea came from longtime local broadcaster and friend Don Timmerman.

On first reaction, Timmerman said Levi deadpanned, "Well, a Jewish boy doesn't have a lot of practice in that." The television ad became well known.

"It's the most notorious commercial I've ever done," Levi admitted with a grin in a 2007 Courier interview.

When Levi was diagnosed with terminal cancer in September 2007, many friends and local civic organizations showered "Santa Levi" with numerous honors for his community service.

Funeral services for Levi are pending with services pending with Hagarty-Waychoff-Grarup Funeral Service on West Ridgeway, 233-3393.

Contact Pat Kinney at (319) 291-1426 or Pat.Kinney@wcfcourier.com

Copyright © 2009 Waterloo/Cedar Falls Courier
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1 comment:

  1. MelissaFebruary 14, 2009 at 10:29 AM

    Jess - I'm so sorry to hear about your grandfather. It sounds like he was an amazing and interesting man. Chris and I are thinking of you!

    ReplyDelete

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About Me

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Twin Cities, MINNESOTA
I am a graduate from the University of Minnesota. I have a B.A. in Communication Disorders, and I have taken classes in photography and visual arts. I have a wonderful husband, a house, and two cats. I am an office manager and photographer for a wedding photography company in the twin cities, and I am working to start my own photography business in child, baby, belly, family, and high school senior portraits. I love natural lighting and I like getting as many candids as possible. I also love setting up photo shoots with backdrops, props, and cute outfits! I enjoy "choreographing" shots, not posing! I feel my style is mostly photo journalistic with a little bit of traditional and artistic thrown in the mix. I started this sight to share my work as well as keep updated with my family and friends! We seem to get more and more spread out across the country, but I am hoping to keep everyone informed on what is happening in my life with this blog. I also hope to share a little bit about myself with the people I photograph. I feel like I am photographing important moments and people in their lives, so I want them to get a glimpse of who I am as well.

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