Brielle Levy: The Smartest, Wisest Girl in the Room

by Steven B. Orkin

Describing my cousin, Brielle Levy, as ‘complex’ is kind of like describing the Atlantic Ocean as a ‘little pond’.

Headstrong, passionate, at times even tempestuous and difficult, I think it’s fair to say that, like most everyone else on the planet, she had her share of quirks, shortcomings, flaws, challenges, and obstacles. This fact did not preclude her from being nothing less than remarkable.

I have described her as one of my favorite people and she truly was. Fiercely intelligent, deeply loving and compassionate, insightful, funny, charismatic, and beautiful, Brielle was impossible to ignore. I would easily count her as among the smartest people I ever met. She seemed to know something about pretty much anything and could consistently be relied on to have a unique insight on most any topic, from literature, to music, to science, to the Human Condition.

In my experience with her, she sometimes struggled with priorities and focus but once she put her mind to something, she went about getting it with a single-minded industriousness, intensity, and audacity that would not be denied. She was formidably tenacious, resourceful, and inventive, qualities I admired enormously. Life, my friends, is an uncertain business but of this you can be sure: When that finely chiseled jaw set with determination, when those dark, gypsy eyes set something in their sights, there are only two words in the English language to describe what happened next: Watch. Out.

One of my finest memories of her and her family that so beautifully illustrated her (and their) unique sensibility is from a summer night many years ago. I had been over at the house visiting with Brielle and Meraissa, and both Harvey and Susan, her parents, were there as well, so we barbecued out back. Normally under such circumstances, people talk about family, pop culture, maybe a little politics. We did touch on some of those things but that wasn’t enough for the Levy family, because the Levy family doesn’t do stupid. As the conversation progressed, and the sun passed toward darkness, we moved on to the trite, childish topic of: ‘The Role & Status of Jews in the Roman Empire.’ That lasted over twenty minutes. I’m pretty smart, but I had very little to offer in that conversation. I could only sit back and marvel at the wonder of super-intelligent people hashing out some ancient history and sociology. It was actually kind of thrilling, and I thought to myself, “The only other place on the planet this conversation could be happening is in a Master’s level history course classroom.”

Throughout her life, Brielle was always incredibly loving and supportive to me. She helped me make sense of the world, and I hope I did the same for her. I will always be grateful for her presence in my life. I will miss her acceptance, validation, and compassion, her razor-sharp intelligence and wit, her unique insight and wisdom, and that gorgeous, irresistibly infectious, bubbly, musical laugh that filled a room and never failed to make me smile. The world is a little less smart, a little less loving, a little less funny, and a whole lot less interesting without her in it. Her loss leaves a hole in my life that will never be filled. I loved her more than words can say.

May her beautiful, divine spirit find peace, love, and meaning as she moves on in her journey to wherever we go from here, and may God bless her loving, sacred soul…

Thank you for reading. 

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