Mrs. Laurette Elizabeth Levy

Laurette Elizabeth Levy, 60, sadly passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm on October 29, 2019, in her Evanston home. A pillar of her family and community, the size of her heart was rivaled only by the size of her smile.

Laurette came into this world on June 10, 1959, in Chicago, but soon moved to Nassau, Bahamas, the birthplace of her mother and grandmother. Her mother, Evern Campbell and  grandmother, Ivy Capron frequently brought Laurette and her two sisters to visit Staniel Cay in the Bahamas, an island populated entirely by more than 100 members of her extended family. Though she moved back to Chicago at a young age, she returned to the island at least once a year for the reminder of her life. It was her home away from home- the sand that made up her essence - and she often said she felt more Bahamian than American.

Before entering high school, Laurette was moved by her love for God and decided to dedicated her life to him as one of Jehovah's Witnesses by water baptism on June 27th, 1973. Her regular study of the Bible helped her to come to love reading. Extraordinarily articulate and smart as a whip, Laurette was an excellent student. (Later, her daughters would call her a walking encyclopedia.) She attended Evanston township High School, where she and her friends could often be found at the local roller skating rink. It was there that she got acquainted with another island child; Rowyan Levy. Though she had sworn she'd never merry a Jamaican, love has a funny way of changing minds - and they wed on May 24th, 1980. 

After getting married, Laurette began working in the human resource department at Kraft. Her passion, however, was helping young people - both in her congregation and her community. She was an unparalleled event planner, hosting game night, themed parties, and talent shows galore. Most of her events were infused with another of her great loves; music, especially Motown, She knew the words to every song, and was never afraid to sing them out loud,

When Laurette was 33, she and Rowyan welcomed a daughter. As a lasting example of Laurette's creativity and familial loyalty, each letter of Linnea's names was a tribute to a different matriarchal figure in their family. Two years later, Cierra was born, whose middle name, Laurelle, was inspired by her later niece. A devoted mother, Laurette gave up her job at Kraft to stay home with the girls, teaching them to read and write, and frequently flying them to the Bahamas to cement their island roots.

Arrangements entrusted to Thompson Funeral & Cremation Services, Inc. Mr. Philip L. Gillette ~ Funeral Director

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