Thomas Levy Obituary

Attorney Thomas Belton Levy, Sr. was born on January 7, 1948, in Camden, South Carolina to the late Reverend James Charles Levy, Sr. and the late Rosena Belton Levy. He was the third son and the third of five children. When he was young, their family moved to Cheraw, SC, where Thom was raised, and eventually graduated from high school. After battling an illness for several years, God called him on Wednesday, January 15, 2025 from his home in Columbia, SC.
Thom, or "Levy" as he was affectionately called by his family and friends, graduated from Long High School in Cheraw in 1966, and went on to attend Morris College in Sumter, SC. He graduated from Morris College in 1969, and then moved to Conway, SC to begin his career as an Educator, teaching Social Studies at Whittemore and Conway High Schools. While he was teaching in Conway, he dated and married the former Shirley Jean Ragin of Sumter, also a 1969 graduate of Morris College. When Thom decided to attend Law School, he and Jean moved to Columbia to begin their married life and to start their family. He graduated from The University of South Carolina School of Law in 1974, with admittance to the South Carolina Bar in the same year. After graduating from law school, he was hired as a full time Richland County Public Defender and as a part-time Richland County Assistant Attorney. He was the first African American hired for both of those positions. He started his own private law practice in Columbia in 1976, and became a highly sought-after personal injury, criminal defense, and domestic relations attorney. He was always willing to lend a helping hand and share his knowledge with aspiring young attorneys.
Levy was active in numerous professional organizations including the National Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, the Richland County Bar, the Columbia Lawyers Association, and the South Carolina Black Lawyers Association. He is a former board member of the Richland County Public Defender's Office, former attorney for the South Carolina Youth Advocate Program, former chairman of the James R. Clark Sickle Cell Foundation, and former chairman of the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. His service to the community also included board member of the V.V. Reid Educational Foundation, former Commissioner of the Greenview Dixie Youth Baseball League, and former P.T.A. President of McCants Elementary and Eau Claire High Schools.
He joined and became an active member of Columbia's historic Zion Baptist Church in 1975, and he served honorably as the Chairman of the Deacon Board and the Trustee Ministry.
In 1989, the late Rev. S.C. Cureton, who was then President of the South Carolina Baptist Educational and Missionary Convention, hired Attorney Levy as the Convention's attorney. Attorney Levy served faithfully until he became ill, including serving under the current President, Dr. James Blassingame.
The late Dr. Luns C. Richardson, former Morris College President, hired and appointed Attorney Levy in 1996 to serve as the Attorney for Morris College and to the Morris College Board of Trustees, both positions he maintained until his illness. Levy considered his service to and for Morris College to be tantamount of his contributions. The college and its National Alumni Association recognized his contributions by bestowing upon him an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree, induction into the Morris College Hall of Fame, the 1996 Outstanding Alumni Award, and his induction, representing the college, into the UNCF National Alumni Council.
Levy and Jean were the proud parents of three young men, Thom Jr. "Kip", Trey and Todd. He enjoyed spending time with his sons, and they shared a love of traveling, seafood, football and basketball. He was proud of his sons, and they were equally proud of him, nicknaming him, "Big Lev".
In addition to being a generous and attentive family man, Levy was dedicated to his extended family, often providing free legal advice and guidance. He enjoyed traveling, spending time with Jean and their sons, and attending family gatherings that included a good game of Spades or Bid Whist. He was also a staunch supporter of HBCUs and HBCU sports, and he was a big fan of the SC State Bulldogs football team for many years.
Levy was preceded in death by his parents and his oldest brother, Rev. Dr. James Charles Levy, Jr. Less than 48 hours after God called Levy home, he was reunited in heaven with his loving and devoted wife of 53+ years, Jean, who had been battling an illness in the hospital.
He leaves to cherish his memory, his three dedicated sons, Thomas "Kip" Belton Levy, Jr., Trey Ragin Levy and Todd Fitzgerald Levy; his siblings, Richard Levy, Reuben O. Levy, Sr., and Janet Levy Lewis; Kip's fiancé, Brandy Isles; his brother-in-law, Alfred Lewis; his sisters-in-law, Mary Levy and Elizabeth Levy; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, professional associates and friends.
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