Randal Porter Levenson

Randal Porter Levenson, 76, died of cancer at his summer home in Lakeside, Ohio. He lived life on his own terms till the very end fully and without reservation. He spent his last summer delighting in and bringing joy to family and friends.

Randal was a photographer, an inventor, and most of all a family man.

He was born to Anne Geddes Levenson on January 20, 1946, in Wichita Falls, Texas where his father, Herbert Melville Levenson, was serving as a physician in the Army during World War II.

Randal grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts and was a graduate of St. Marks School in Southborough, Massachusetts. He was a member of the Class of 1968 at Brown University where he studied engineering and psychology. While at Brown he especially loved the classes he took in photography at Rhode Island School of Design. After university he spent time in Alaska, fighting forest fires and learning more about cameras and printing. Photography became his life’s work.

Randal met his wife, Paula Rustin Steele, on a blind date at Wellesley College in 1968. They married on October 24, 1970. Their lives and work took them from homes in Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to New York City, and finally to Miami, Florida. Their adventures together included traveling with sideshows and carnivals, a family stint in Amsterdam for Rustin’s work as a painting conservator, and a term in Italy where Rustin was a Resident at the American Academy in Rome. One of his most notable achievements came from this time of adventures: the publication of his photography book In Search of the Monkey Girl (Aperture Press, 1982). Their adventures also included raising three wonderfully weird and beautiful children and making even weirder friends. He would often say that we are “nearly normal.” We continue to wonder exactly how “nearly” he meant.

In 1992, their home was destroyed by Hurricane Andrew. The ‘adventure’ of rebuilding will never be forgotten by his family who lived in a Marriott Hotel for eight months, a rental home for another year, and finally back to 13291 Old Cutler Road, their place of Florida tropical magic for 33 years.

Randal’s invention of the TV Allowance provided other adventures. Springing from his concern about the amount of time children spent watching television, he built the first TV Allowance for his family in 1991 from Lego parts, electrical detritus, and timers. The enthusiasm of parents and friends led him to have the device produced and marketed. The family found themselves the center of media attention on CNN, the Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning America, the Phil Donahue Show, and in various newspapers and magazines. Randal and Rustin displayed the device over several years at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas where it won the Prize for Innovation.

Throughout his life, Randal continued photographing. His work has been shown all over the world, most recently at an exhibition in Paris, a retrospective at the Joseph Bellows Gallery in San Diego, California, and at Pan American Projects in Miami, Florida. Randal’s photographs are in the collections of numerous museums in the United States and Canada. He is represented by Joseph Bellows Gallery and Robert Klein Gallery in Boston. Randal became a master printer working with artists such as Yousuf Karsh, Robert Frank, and Richard Avedon.

Throughout his life, Randal served as a mentor and teacher. He was a professor of photography at the University of Ottawa and later lectured widely about his work. During the summers he taught photography at the C. Kirk Rhein, Jr. Center for the Living Arts in Lakeside. He led teams of middle and high school engineering students to national trophies. A successful wrestler, he supported the Palmetto High School team, often capturing team photos and traveling cross country for camps and tournaments.  He organized crews of students to work with Touching Miami with Love, helping the homeless population in Florida.

Randal was a devoted family member and friend. He will be remembered for his epic dinner parties and his waffle fests. Later in life his athletic pursuits included biking and shuffleboard. He is a proud member of the Lakeside Shuffleboard club and participated in State and National tournaments.

Surviving are his wife: Rustin; children: Elias Moss Easton (Rachel Gayle Webster) Levenson of Brooklyn, NY, Cormac Ryder (Erica Jann Lardo) Levenson of Ann Arbor, MI, Geddes Steele (Alex Rubinsteyn) Levenson of Durham, NC; grandchildren: Hero Daniel Levenson, River Frederick Levenson, Zev Yakov Levenson, and Zora Easton Levenson; brothers: Thomas, David, Seth; sisters: Judith Anne Coppola, Amy Tomasello, Jane Grigg, Tamara Levenson and Kyra Silva. He was preceded in death by his parents and brother, Eric.

A Memorial Service will be held in Lakeside, Ohio at the East Pavilion at 3:00 on Saturday, September 24. Come dressed for shuffleboard and snacks afterwards.

Donations in Randal’s name can be made to The Lakeside Association, earmarked for the shuffleboard club.