Yvonne Sharon Dushkin Levine

was a native Houstonian, the second child of Sybil and Maurice Dushkin. She was a loving family member: daughter, sister, wife, mother, and aunt. As the middle child, she frequently stood back and just shook her head while her older sister, Sue, and younger brother, Harvey, went at it. Yvonne married the love of her life, Allen Levine, on February 28, 1971. There are conflicting stories of how they met, but what matters most is that their love endured. Their son, Kevin, came along in 1972. The most important thing that Kevin wants family and friends to remember about Yvonne is her big heart. She was such a kind, loving person who always tried to be her best self. She never used the word “hate.” You could ask her if she hated someone for something they did, and she would say, “I don’t hate anybody.” She tried to walk a mile in their shoes and understand their perspective. Her kind-heartedness is a theme that is constantly repeated by family and friends. She’d give you the shirt off her back or the last dollar in her wallet. Yvonne started working at the Shamrock Hotel in the catering division when she was 17 years old and over the next 30 years, she rose to be Eric Hilton’s administrative assistant. The family remembers her time at Hilton Hotels with great affection. The Thanksgiving turkey came from the Shamrock Hotel, and Yvonne was tasked with picking it up before the family feast. Because of her long career with the Hilton family, she also received some excellent rates at many of the Hilton hotels and was always very kind at sharing those with family and ensuring they had an extra amenity upon check-in. When Hilton relocated their corporate offices outside of Houston, Yvonne continued to be a hard worker and spent time working with Bill Morgan, at the Jewish Federation of Greater Houston, and at the Alzheimer’s Association. She also spent many years volunteering at Texas Children’s Hospital, providing support and comfort to families dealing with the stresses of illnesses or surgeries with their children. Sybil taught Sue and Yvonne how to play mah jong over 55 years ago. They were quickly hooked and started playing with another set of sisters, Patsy Reichstein and Maureen Wainer, a few years later. This mah jong group grew to include Cheryl Nussenblatt and Pat Bobkoff and has endured for over 45 years. They played weekly, and when the kids were little, it was their “girls’ night out” – a chance to have grown up conversations, vent about all the little things, celebrate triumphs and happy occasions, and support each other through challenging times. Sue still owes Yvonne 15 cents from their last game. Yvonne was at her happiest when surrounded by family. She loved to catch up with her cousins, nieces, and nephews, and was a favorite babysitter for her grandnieces and nephews. Whether it was going for a manicure with one of the girls or letting the boys play video games or providing them with Hot Wheels, she loved to dote on them, and they loved to have time with their Aunt Vonnie. Yvonne was preceded in death by her parents, Maurice and Sybil, her husband, Allen, and her brother, Harvey Dushkin. She is survived by her son, Kevin, her sister, Sue Dushkin Teller (Fred), her nephews, Scott Teller and Craig Teller (Lori), and niece, Alissa Leightman (Michael), several great nieces and nephews, and cousins, as well as many loving friends. The family extends their thanks to the doctors and staff at the Methodist Hospital for their care and support during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to American Cancer Society (https://donate.cancer.org/) or the charity of your choice. A funeral service will be held at 11:00 am on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, in the Sophia and Jack Bender Memorial Chapel at Beth Yeshurun Post Oak Cemetery, 7445 Awty School Lane, Houston, Texas 77055. A livestream of the service is available at the following link: https://venue.streamspot.com/f8d04b5b

Yvonne Sharon Dushkin Levine

July 10, 1944 - June 21, 2026