Sheldon Leva

Sheldon “Shelly” Leva passed away at the age of 97 on Sunday, November 30, 2025, surrounded by a loving network of family and caregivers. Shelly was born in Beaumont, and lived in Houston, Cleveland, Ohio, and Dallas before finally settling in Houston in 2013 with his beloved wife of 63 years, Sally, who preceded him in death later that same year. Shelly earned his bachelor’s and master's degrees at his beloved University of Texas in Austin. Most of his career was spent in the Dallas office of Texas Instruments, traveling to such far flung destinations as Seoul, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, Florence, and Tokyo in his capacity as manager of expatriate affairs. His family, however, was the focus of his life. When offered a more lucrative and prestigious position in Lubbock, he chose to stay in Dallas rather than commute home only on weekends. In Houston, he flourished, visited almost daily by daughter, Marcie, and often joined by her husband, David, and grandchildren, Ari and Dov, for Shabbat dinners and many simchas. The highlight of his life in Houston, though, came when Ari and their wife, Elaine, moved to Houston with his great granddaughters. Once a week, Eliora and Levia would come to Mimi and Poppy’s house after school. Their beloved Saba would join them for a snack, read them books, and watch their favorite TV shows with them. Everyone would then go out to dinner, as Saba glowed with “nachas” watching his great-granddaughters grow and blossom week by week. The last few years of his life were unfortunately often accompanied by pain and failing health. Never complaining, his amazing smile and deadpan sense of humor always remained intact, often cracking up the Shabbat dinner table group with a straight-faced one-liner. His family was blessed to have him for many years filled with love and joy. We will always love and remember you, Saba. Our memories of you will always be for a blessing. A private graveside burial was held at Adath Emeth Cemetery in Houston, Texas. A memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Friday, December 5, 2025 in the Freedman-Levit Sanctuary at Congregation Beth Yeshurun, 4525 Beechnut St., Houston, Texas 77096. The service will also be livestreamed at https://www.bethyeshurun.org/freedman-levit-sanctuary

Sheldon Leva

September 22, 1928 - November 30, 2025