Ariel Leibovitz

On February 23 we lost an incredibly sweet, kind husband, father, uncle, grandfather and friend. Ariel was 78 (about to be 79) and succumbed to complications associated with his disease of Corticobasel Syndrome. Ariel was born in Ramat Sharon, Israel on May 22, 1945. His parents were Sima and Reuven Leibovitz. His dad passed away when Ariel was 9 years old and he and his mother moved to Houston in 1958 to be near his sister, who had married and was living in Houston. He learned how to speak English by watching television and by playing Bridge, a game that would carry him through seven decades, introduce him to amazingly close friends and highlight his unmatched sense of logic, ability to read people and shrewd judgment. Ariel attended Bellaire High School and joined Shapiro AZA where he made lifelong friends whose love, loyalty and unwavering support continued right to the end. Ariel went to U of H and graduated with a degree in Psychology…which he always claimed made him an expert in the field. After showing up every day to be interviewed and refusing to give up, he secured an interview and later a job with Pace Management, where he learned to manage events and became good friends with the management at Pace at that time, often playing bridge with them after work. These wonderful men a few years later became business partners and backed Ariel in opening his first Travel Agency. Ariel was truly a kind, smart, funny, entrepreneurial spirit who people loved, respected and admired. He was a voracious reader, talented bridge player and had a skill of managing people and business. He was a bottom line kind of guy who focused on solving the problem versus complaining about it. He was considered extremely honorable in everything he did. He owned with partners Travel Enterprises, Atlas Travel, Cruise Center.com, and Total Visa Solutions. He loved to travel and especially loved cruising. Although he and Doreen travelled all over the world, he was always focused on planning the next trip. He loved just sitting on a cruise ship looking at the beautiful water and loved family trips to Aspen looking at the mountains, the changing of the leaves, and watching his family smile and grow. He took some of his greatest enjoyment in watching others enjoy themselves. While his last few years were difficult, he was blessed with the arrival of a darling granddaughter, Harper Gray, who brought him great joy. He loved watching her run around…and run and run and run some more. We will remember and focus on the good times and the love we all felt for him. Let’s celebrate his life and the sweet man he was. Ariel is survived by his wife, Doreen, his loving daughter, Tracy Irvine and her husband, Jamie Irvine, his granddaughter Harper Gray and his loving nieces Donna Sapolin, Diane Portman, Sharon Dvoretzky and Roni Yoeli, as well as by so many friends. He is predeceased by his parents Sima and Reuven Leibovitz and his sister Shouna Artsiely whom he adored and shared the same birthday with 10 years apart. The family would like to also thank, Carlos, Ebe, Melichia. Sandra, and Sandrine for their kindness in Ariel's care. A memorial service was held at 12:00 pm on Tuesday, February 27, 2024 at Congregation Beth Israel, 5600 North Braeswood, Houston, TX 77096. In lieu of flowers please make a donation to the Junvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (www.jdrf.org), The Houston Area Parkinson Society (www.haps.org), or a charity of your choice.

Ariel Leibovitz

May 22, 1945 - February 23, 2024