Joshua Neil Levenson

Joshua Neil Levenson was born April 9, 1952 in Brooklyn, New York, to Herman Levenson and Mildred Esther Levenson (maiden name Freeman), and was lovingly raised alongside his older sister Sherry Brass. His father owned a jewelry store, and his mother was a chemist and science teacher. The family moved to Long Island in 1957, where Josh made some of the closest friends he'd keep for the rest of his life. Even then, he was known for his fun energy and wild spirit. He was a debate champion who, as his friends will attest to, loved to talk.

He graduated from Valley Stream Central High School in 1970, and decided to take a leap and leave the east coast and attend college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. In Madison, Josh found real community in the liberal movements and organizing scene of the city. It's where he and some friends started Good Karma, a vegan co-op and restaurant. That was his first venture out of college, and pretty emblematic of the entrepreneur and risk-taker that he was.

Next, Josh took a job tutoring at Kaplan Test Prep, which, unbeknownst to him at the time, would be where he'd end up spending the vast majority of his career, working in various roles at Kaplan for nearly 40 years. Alongside that job, he became a concert promoter and promoted some big names in music, like Bonnie Raitt, George Benson, and Patti Smith. It’s this job where he cultivated his love and appreciation for all types of music, from classic rock to jazz to classical.

One of the most consequential moments of Josh's life came on an airplane in December 1983 flying to Cancun, Mexico. It’s where he met his future wife of 41 years, Susan. Josh loved to tell the story of how they met: Susan was in the window seat, and Josh's friend Alan was in the aisle next to her. His friend had tried to chat her up but they hadn't hit it off. When his friend got up to use the restroom, Josh smoothly slid into the empty seat and started talking to Susan, and they hit it off immediately. Their first date was that night at the Club Med hotel beach bar, and they were pretty much inseparable for the rest of the trip.

Their romance moved fast. Susan was living in Dallas, Josh in Minneapolis, and they were seeing each other almost every weekend, and Josh proposed three months later. It was that kind of instant, deep love. Josh and Susan Levenson got married on June 2, 1985.

In those first years of marriage, Josh and Susan shared a very full life together; they loved to travel, go out to dinners with friends, and were big appreciators of art and culture. Josh also started a french fry and lemonade company called Spudsters, which he and Susan ran together for a few years. He loved french fries, and always preached that a good french fry needed to be double-fried (he was right).

In that time, they were also working hard to start a family. After many tries, to their surprise and delight, Susan got pregnant with boy-girl twins. Hannah and Joseph Levenson were born on April 18, 1991, with Hannah arriving two minutes before her brother. That was the start of a deeply rich and fulfilling chapter of Josh's life. Even amidst all of his career achievements, Josh would always say that raising Hannah and Joseph was what he was most proud of.

The family lived in Minneapolis for seven years before moving to Los Angeles in 1998, when Josh took a new role leading Kaplan's real estate division. They settled in Palos Verdes, where Hannah and Joseph grew up, and where Josh spent many hours enjoying biking through the beautiful hills. During those years, the family loved to travel together and Josh believed strongly in bringing Hannah and Joseph along as a way to expand their world view. The family shared many amazing trips together, from Costa Rica to China to all over Europe, as well as yearly trips to Hawaii and Deer Valley, Utah.

Later on in his career, Josh took a role leading Kaplan College, a network of schools that helped students earn degrees in vocational fields like nursing and x-ray technology. This role was one that Josh was particularly passionate about, because he saw how these degrees created economic opportunity and changed his students’ livelihoods. He made a real effort to connect with every student who walked through the doors, and with all the staff and teachers he employed. And that’s really how he approached everyone who crossed his path at Kaplan. Over his many years there, Josh mentored and influenced a huge number of people. He did it with his no-nonsense, authentic style, paired with warmth, a kind heart, and a big smile.

Once Hannah and Joseph left for college, Josh and Susan decided to downsize and leave Palos Verdes. They first rented a place in Marina del Rey, steps from the beach, and spent several happy years there. Josh loved to pick up and collect the beautiful sand dollars he found on his walks along the beach with Susan. After Marina Del Rey, they bought a place in Playa Vista and instantly found a community there.

In spring 2019, Susan was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease at the young age of 64. As that cruel disease progressed, the love and care Josh showed Susan was one of the most beautiful testaments to their bond. He took on so much, and always with such warmth and love that you could see and feel. When it came time to move Susan into a memory care home, Josh continued to visit almost every day. He was her biggest advocate and companion, and showed his devotion in small ways too, from making sure she always had apples, to dancing with her to her favorite songs.

In spring 2024, a CT scan found a cancerous tumor on Josh's lung and he quickly had surgery to remove it. In the year and a half that followed, Josh really put the pedal to the medal and travelled the world. He went to Mexico to see the solar eclipse with his son Joseph. He biked through Portugal with one of his best friends. He embarked on a cruise with newfound friends, exploring Greece and Turkey. And capped off his travels with a trip to Tel Aviv in November 2025 to see his daughter Hannah get married.

It was December 2025, at his six-month check-in, when Josh and his family learned that the lung cancer had come back. Josh was always a fighter, and he sprung into action, trying a number of different treatments. Heartbreakingly, none of them made much progress, but he kept his trademark Josh positivity and gumption right through to the end. He passed away on August 6, 2026 at the age of 74.

Capturing the richness and fullness of Josh's life in words is impossible. But, he would want to be remembered – and will be remembered – for his smile, his warmth, his intellectual curiosity, and his openness to people and to the world. Those were his superpowers, and Hannah and Joseph will carry their father’s example with them for the rest of their lives.

Josh Levenson will be deeply, sorely missed. The world is a lot less bright and fun without him in it.

Josh is survived by his wife, Susan Levenson; his twin children, Hannah and Joseph Levenson; his sister, Sherry Brass; and his nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Herman and Mildred Levenson.

In Josh's memory and honor, the family is asking for donations to Peace for Kids, an LA-based nonprofit that supports foster youth, where Josh volunteered for over 20 years. You can donate here:https://www.peace4kids.org/in_loving_memory