Leonard S. Levitz, 71, psychologist

Leonard S. Levitz had a singular way of celebrating birthdays and anniversaries for his wife, Meryl.

He would write a small book of fables, based on people in their lives, just for her.

The fables, she said, "helped me with some challenges at work," written over a span of 20 years, though the most recent was 15 years ago.

"They involved animals, with the moral at the end."

She said the fables told "how to deal with this person or what this person has to teach you, why is this person in your life."

On Wednesday, July 27, Dr. Levitz, 71, of Cherry Hill, a psychologist focused on patients with eating disorders, died of lung cancer at home.

His wife is president and CEO of Visit Philadelphia, the publicly funded regional marketing agency.

In 1991, she said, her husband founded the Arbor Counseling Center in Narberth. He was its owner and manager until he closed it in 2006.

In 1985, he became the first clinical director at the Renfrew Center of Philadelphia. He continued as its clinical director until 1991.

Renfrew specializes in treating anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating disorders, and related mental illnesses, its website states.

In 1979, he founded the Psychology Center of Philadelphia, his wife said, where he was director until 1985.

Dr. Levitz grew up near Yankee Stadium, graduated from the Bronx High School of Science in 1961, and earned a bachelor's degree at City University of New York in 1965 and a doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1971.

That year, his wife said, he cofounded with Henry A. Jordan the behavioral weight control and eating disorders program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where he was the program director until 1979.

"Frequently, eating disorders are related to other kinds of behaviors," Meryl Levitz said.

"He was very able to pull many factors together and created a very personalized approach for each person.

"And that, combined with his sense of humor and a genuine kindness," she said, "made him a very effective psychologist.

At Penn's medical school, he became an instructor in 1971, an assistant professor in 1974, and an assistant clinical professor in 1978, all in psychology.

He wrote articles for several scholarly publications.

David Abramson, a restoration architect in Chatham, N.J., has known the Levitzes since 1967, when they met as students at the University of Illinois.

In the early 1980s, Abramson said, the Levitzes "had a house out in the Lancaster area" whose land was bedeviled by groundhogs.

Dr. Levitz was not an athlete, Abramson said, but maybe memories of growing up near Yankee Stadium kicked in for a moment.

"Len took a rock, threw it 50 feet," and knocked out one of the offending creatures.

Rural neighbors, hearing of the exploit, saw him a bit as one of their own, Abramson said.

"This was a wonderful memory of a city guy out in the country," enjoyed by the friends over the years.

Services are to be private.

Donations may be sent to www.mightywriters.org.

Condolences may be offered to the family at Visit Philadelphia, Suite 2010, 30 S. 17th St., Philadelphia 19103.

wnaedele@phillynews.com

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