Ilan Levi ME'65 lived life to the fullest, despite his long-term struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. He passed away peacefully at home on June 22, 2023.

Born in Israel on July 17, 1943, as the son of German immigrants, Ilan grew up in farming community. He emigrated to New York City with his parents and brother in 1956, where the ever-resilient Ilan adapted quickly to his new language and urban environment. He graduated in 1965 from The Cooper Union, where he pursued his lifelong love of engineering. Then it was off to graduate school in Aeronautical Engineering at Stanford University to earn a PhD in 1969. While at Stanford, he fell in love with California and especially Yosemite National Park, where he was to backpack throughout his life. He also fell in love with a physics grad student, Barbara, with whom he shared the rest of his life.

Ilan spent his 27-year career at Bell Labs developing numerous telephone products. He was most proud of his leadership of the Merlin phones, which provided small businesses with multiple lines and access to many features previously only available to large businesses. He relished spotting “his” Merlin phones at a restaurant or on the set of a TV show. Ilan was an effective and respected leader, becoming a Lab Director at Bell Labs.

To read his full obituary, please click here.