Alice Levine Musical Theatre Department

Alice Jean Fisher was born in Logansport, Indiana on March 9, 1924; the only child to Hazel Fisher (née McLaughlin) and Laban J. Fisher. Alice grew up in Logansport. The family was fortunate enough to own a piano. Alice started playing piano when she was eight years old. Her mother taught English and her father was a high school principal. She graduated from Logansport High School in 1941. Her parents valued education and encouraged her to continue her own studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. She studied journalism and then piano. She played string bass in the Jordan Symphony Orchestra. She put off finishing college on time to contribute to the war effort. In 1946 she graduated from Butler's Jordan Conservatory of Music.

After graduating with a bachelor's degree, Alice followed her piano teacher, Alfred Mirovitch, to New York City. She rented a piano and moved it into her hotel room in NYC. Alice was a professional piano accompanist at the Third Street Music School Settlement, the longest-running community music school in the United States. Alice became friendly with the manager of her hotel, Bertrand Levine, a fellow musician. They bonded over their love for classical music and were married within two months.

In 1949 the couple moved to Miami where Alice played string bass in the University of Miami Symphony Orchestra and gave bass lessons, in exchange for free tuition as a

matriculating student.

Alice and Bert raised five children in Seaford, Long Island, and Bayside, Queens, New York City. When the children were very young, auditions were held for the Broadway musical the Sound of Music. Alice took all five children into Manhattan to try out. Only Jean, her second daughter, got a call-back. Alice did not take a full- time teaching job until her youngest child started kindergarten. Prior to that, Alice gave private piano lessons, directed a church choir, and played the organ there.

Alice started teaching music at Campbell Junior High in Flushing. Two years later she began taking evening classes at Queens College, where she earned her Master's Degree in Music Education. She was a music teacher and chorus director at Cardozo High School. She was an adjunct piano teacher at Queensboro Community College. In 1975 their second daughter died. Alice taught music in the NYC public school system for almost twenty years.

Alice bestowed the gift of music on her own children. For much of their lives, the sisters sang rounds making beautiful harmony. Singing was an important part of the family cohesion. Each child started piano at age 5 and upon turning 7 they began playing a wind instrument. As teenagers, all five children played music together on occasion; flutes, oboe, trombone and trumpet. Judith played folk music on the guitar and today the siblings remember the words and melody to the same folk songs.

Even as she slept, Alice's son played guitar and sang folk songs to her up to her dying day. When hearing was all that was left, her daughter softly sang rounds to her. They had sung the same rounds together for over 55 years. You can never stop singing.

When they were 55 years old, Alice and Bert retired from their jobs in Queens and began traveling. They visited Europe. They spent six months in England and in Mexico. Bert woke up early each morning to take pictures and they enjoyed their time together.

They moved to Clearwater, Florida and in 1981 they gave up their home in New York. On the west coast of Florida they enjoyed socializing at the pool. Alice started writing novelas and short stories on her word processor and many of her romantic short stories were published in modern romance magazines. Bert collected shells from the beach and lacquered them, and he began making classical music tapes.

In 1994 Alice and Bert moved to Boca Raton, Florida to be closer to family. Alice regularly attended writers' groups and book club meetings at the library. She rode her bike and swam 50 laps daily. She and Bert rode around on motorbikes.

Alice taught English to non-native speakers and started giving piano lessons. In 2005 Bert died. Alice bought a computer and started rewriting the stories she had written. She published 11 novels and a book about our family. She joined the choir at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship and was inspired to arrange music for the group. She wrote music on the computer. She composed duets for her daughter and her on flute and piano. She taught piano until a week before she passed away. Teaching piano gave her great joy.

On September 4th, 2024, Alice passed away at the age of 100 in her own home in Boca Raton, Florida, surrounded by family. Alice was predeceased by her parents, Hazel and Laban, daughter Jean, husband Bert, and daughter-in-law Rosanne. She is survived by her children, Judith Levine (and her partner, Peter Rigotti), Laban Levine, Susan Levine (Philippe Tarr), and Sol Levine; her grandchildren, Zoe Dawn Wilson, Brittany Levine, Justin Levine (Jennifer Levine), Matthew Levine, and Natalie Tarr; and her great-grandchildren Rex Levine and Asher Levine.

A musical memorial will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 2601 St. Andrews Boulevard, Boca Raton, Florida on Saturday, September 21 st , 2024 at 3pm.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach.