Annalee Levy Dies; Leukemia Society Leader

Annalee Levy, executive director of the San Diego County chapter of the Leukemia Society of America, died Tuesday, apparently of a heart attack, while en route to her doctor’s office in La Mesa. She was 60.

About 10 days ago, Levy complained of having trouble breathing, especially while using the stairs. Her son, Donne Levy of San Diego, drove her to Tuesday’s doctor’s appointment after his mother told him she was too weak to drive herself. As her son went to get a wheelchair for her, Levy lost consciousness in the car. Efforts to resuscitate her failed.

Levy, a native of Houston, moved to San Diego in 1977 from Tucson. A housewife and mother of three, Levy got her first job in San Diego as a part-time secretary for the San Diego chapter of the American Cancer Society.

In 1979, she became assistant director of the San Diego County chapter of the Leukemia Society. She became the executive director in 1982.

Organized Fund Raisers

Levy was instrumental in developing the annual Coronado Bridge 10K Road Race in 1981, the society’s biggest fund-raiser. She was also involved in the annual John Lyons Memorial Dinner, which honors outstanding labor leaders in San Diego. Levy was responsible for producing another agency fund-raiser, an ice skating show put on by La Jolla ice skaters.

A former president of the Combined Health Agency Drive, Levy also remained active in that organization to the time of her death.

“In my impression, she has been the most hard-working individual,” said Helen Baker, president of the Leukemia Society chapter. “She was concerned about the patients, the trustees. I admired her very much as a person and I felt I wanted to support her. I know that it’s going to take a lot of work to fill in . . . to carry on with the things she did.”

Levy’s husband died of cancer in 1969.

In addition to her son, she is survived by daughters Joan Rawitscher of San Diego and Mindy Levy of Reno, Nev., and six grandchildren.

An informal memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Levy’s home in Allied Gardens.