Stine Levy died peacefully in her beautiful home on December 29, 2024, with family by her side.
Born on June 5, 1927, in Kiel, Germany, Stine emigrated to the United States with her three siblings and parents in August 1933, as Hitler and his Nazi party were gaining power. Her father was an economic advisor to the Weimar government, a professor of economics, and an active member of the Social Democratic Party. This activism and his Jewish heritage made him a target of harassment and violence and led to the family’s forced emigration from Germany. Her mother was a noted existential psychiatrist and student of Zen Buddhism.
Stine grew up in Yonkers, New York, and Arlington, Virginia, and spent idyllic summers in a rustic cottage in the tiny town of Belmont, Vermont. She and her siblings raised goats and chickens in Vermont, and Stine claimed that they transported the chickens back and forth from the city to Vermont by train.
From an early age, Stine was a fierce advocate for racial, social, and economic justice. She attended Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio, where she joined the NAACP and participated in organizing activities for workers’ rights and racial integration. At Antioch, she met Leon Levy, who became her first husband and the father of her three children. Leon’s appointment as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Indiana University brought them to Bloomington in 1954.
Becoming part of the university community in Bloomington led to a rich community of friends that became one of the defining elements of Stine’s life. She also loved IU opera, ballet performances, student recitals, art exhibits, and lectures on almost any topic.
Stine sustained deep and enduring friendships over the course of her 70 years in Bloomington. Stine quickly drew people into conversations about a book she was reading, a gardening project, a paper she was writing, or some other object of her fascination. Her back door was always open to people who dropped by to talk and enjoy something to eat. Her longevity meant that she had to say goodbye to many of these friends, becoming a master of the memorial service speech and condolence letter. But Stine’s last years were hardly lonely. She seemed to befriend everyone whose paths crossed hers– at her Y exercise class, her New Yorker discussion group, the opera, and her wonderful new neighbors, who enriched her life immeasurably.
Not long after settling in Bloomington with a new baby, Stine embarked on a master’s degree in educational psychology. She then led a successful effort to adapt psychological and intelligence tests for children with autism and other developmental disabilities who were nonverbal. After a stint on the staff of the Developmental Training Center at Indiana University, Stine established a thriving private practice working with children and adults throughout the state. Stine maintained her practice well into her late 80s and met with former clients until shortly before her death. Stine’s countless clients and their families have expressed enormous gratitude for her support and her work with them.
In 1983, Stine married Arthur Koch. Arthur was an adventurous, fun-loving, and whimsical soul who was just the right person for her to spend the second half of her life with. With Arthur, Stine traveled the world as well as the paths and backroads of Indiana. They enjoyed years of happiness until Arthur’s death in 2016.
Stine’s home reflected the richness of her life. She filled the space with art, plants, and good food. Her appreciation for beauty extended to all aspects of the physical world and no detail was too small. Even after several falls, Stine insisted that she wanted to die in the house that she had meticulously cared for and shared with all those she loved.
Stine is survived by her son, Paul; her daughters, Claire and Judy; their respective partners, Judy Jewell, Robert Kropfli, and Claudia Rast; and her five granddaughters, Mara and Ellie Driscoll, and Rianna, Kayla, and Micah Johnson-Levy, all of whom she adored and delighted in, as they did in her. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews.
Stine knew how she wanted to live and how she wanted to die. She was unwavering in her determination to do exactly that. Stine’s death has left a big hole in our hearts. What she would most want is to be saluted for a life well-lived. And indeed, it was.
If you would like to make a donation in her memory, Stine was a supporter of The Sycamore Land Trust.
