John Beryl Levengood passed away on April 14, 2026, at his home in Asheville, NC.
He was a lover of smooth jazz, rock and roll, reggae covers, and yacht rock. Although he lived in the mountains, John took every opportunity possible to head to the beach – Wellfleet, Hilton Head, the Florida panhandle, or the Isle of Palms – he’d go looking for chilled oysters and to count the pelicans flying over the waves. He was a lifelong learner, soaking up OLLI classes at UNC Asheville in his retirement on all topics from the apostles and books of the Bible to the gut biome to classical music. John was a faithful Catholic and was called to be in service to others, volunteering for years with Manna Food Bank to connect North Carolinians with food pantries all over the state and taking Spanish classes for years to better assist with ESOL and Literacy Together, where he did tutoring and assisted adults who immigrated to the U.S. to improve their English proficiency. He was a former marathoner, a completer of crossword puzzles, loved a screen porch, and was devoted to the University of Connecticut Huskies girls’ basketball team.
John was born on July 19, 1942, in Palmyra, PA, the second of nine children born to Mark and Anna (Hassler) Levengood. He graduated from ELCO High School in 1960 and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. John underwent extensive training to serve on nuclear submarines, including the USS Thomas Jefferson.
While stationed in Windsor Locks, CT, John had the good fortune to meet Janet, who was a young nursing student at the time. After long-distance dating, the only way one can date while away on submarine missions, they eventually reunited and married on June 10, 1967.
He attended the University of Connecticut on the GI Bill and graduated in 1970 with a degree in economics. John started his career with The Hartford Insurance Group and moved his family to Ohio in 1982, where he continued as an executive with several insurance companies in both Columbus and Cleveland. Later in his career, he found a role he loved as a consultant, living in New York City, Philadelphia, Grand Rapids, Washington, D.C., and ultimately what he cherished as the pinnacle of his career – living in Seoul, South Korea, for two years to advise the Samsung Corporation on group life insurance operations. John relished his time in South Korea and never said no to any opportunity presented to him – from the boardrooms to volunteering with planting in rice paddies and making kimchi in a nearby village. He deeply appreciated immersing himself within the culture and spoke of his time there almost every day.
John and Janet retired to Asheville, NC, in 2013 so that he could spend as much time as possible with his best friend, his grandson, Max. John was a patient and doting “Poppy,” lying on the floor for hours, playing Matchbox cars with Max, and making up elaborate pretend scenarios. Spending time with family was one of John’s favorite ways to pass the time, whether it was to watch football together, share a toast with a gin & tonic, take a top-down convertible ride with Janet along the Blue Ridge Parkway, or have everyone over for a themed dinner party, signature cocktail always included.
John will be remembered for being unfathomably patient, telling very long, well-thought-out, and detailed stories (often repeatedly), his faith and empathy, his steadfast role as the head of the family, and being the first one everyone would seek out with any “how-to” question. He started his own tradition on his 70th birthday to get a tattoo that marked something significant from his life, and in the end, he was able to have 14 images printed on his body. The imprints John left on his family, friends, and those who knew him are innumerable, and while they cannot be seen like a tattoo, they will be felt in our hearts and seen in our actions.
John is preceded in death by his parents and sisters, Sharon Eberly and Beth Ney. He is survived by his wife, Janet; children, Julie (Noel Swartz) Levengood, Jared Levengood, and Jessica (Alex) Bernstein; grandson, Max Bernstein; siblings, Marcia Kocher, Ethan Levengood, Hope Kocher, Priscilla Levengood-Hassan, Cindy Levengood, and Brian Levengood; and many nieces and nephews.
In memory of John, please consider donating to Manna Food Bank, or if you are able, giving donations of blood or platelets. As he fought Acute Myeloid Leukemia for the past seven months, he received so many infusions, and those gifts of life gave him more time on earth and gave his family more time with him.
A memorial service will be planned for a later date.
