The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Pearl Levitan, 93, of Spotswood, passed away peacefully on February 20 with her family at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick.
Born on December 17, 1932 in East Brunswick, Pearl was the beloved daughter of the late Walter Smith and Laura (Anders) Smith. She was raised in East Brunswick and graduated from Woodbridge High School in 1950. After high school, Pearl attended nursing school and earned her certification as a Licensed Practical Nurse.
During her career, Pearl worked in hospitals and retirement homes. She also worked for the Visiting Nurses’s Association of Central NJ, eventually becoming President of the Association. She was known for her empathy, compassion, and dedication to patient care.
In 1962, she married Philip Levitan, first settling on Lake Nelson in Piscataway and then moving to Somerset in 1970 where she remained until 2004.
During her time as a homemaker in the 1980s, Pearl also worked several years as a secretary for Levitan Interstate Transport in Perth Amboy.
Pearl returned to nursing in the 1980s, as an overnight charge nurse for McCarrick Care Center, now known as Parker at Somerset. During this time she also accepted a position as the occupational health nurse for the LA Dreyfus Company in Edison, from which she retired in 2004.
Pearl enjoyed retirement to the fullest. She remained active and engaged. She enjoyed reading, her regular Scrabble group, crossword puzzles and word searches, watching Jeopardy and bargain hunting. She regularly attended senior living classes and enjoyed occasional trips to Atlantic City with family and friends where she could rule a Blackjack table!
Pearl was predeceased by her beloved husband, Phillip Levitan; daughters, Jan Levitan-Webb and Robyne Munro, and seven siblings.
She is survived by her loving daughters, Phyllis Sica and husband Joseph of New Jersey; Lauren Levitan of New Jersey, and Merryl Sisemore of California; son-in-law, Travis Webb of Illinois, and three grandsons, Isaac Levitan, Thomas Sica and Paul Sica. Pearl also leaves behind many nieces and nephews, as well as her cherished and dear friend, Lynn Grant.
A committal service for her cremated remains will take place at 10:30 a.m. February 28 at Franklin Memorial Park’s Chapel of Serenity, 1800 NJ-27, North Brunswick, NJ 08902.
Donations in Pearl’s memory can be made to the St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, or Macular Degeneration Research, https://www.macular.org/want-to-help/donate.
Stay ‘In the Know,’ subscribe to the Franklin Reporter & Advocate!
No other media outlet covering Franklin Township brings you the depth of information presented by the Franklin Reporter & Advocate. Period. We are the only truly independent media serving the Eight Villages.
But we can only do that with your support. Please consider a yearly subscription to our online news site; at $37 a year, it’s one of the best investments you can make for yourself.
To subscribe, please click here.
