Barry Levine, 59, of Homer Glen, Ill., died April 29. He was the owner and founder of Functional Therapy and Rehabilitation. He was very active in the American Council of the Blind and helped found Audio Description International. Levine was known for his regional, statewide and national volunteer work for libraries and library use by the blind.
Here's the In Memoriam written by Mitch Pomerantz, President, American Council of the Blind:
Colleagues: It is with an extremely heavy heart that I let everyone know of the sudden passing of Barry Levine last evening [4/29] of a heart attack at his home in Illinois. As many of you know, Barry had a counseling practice and was extremely active in literacy and library-related matters. It is ironic that he died while reading,
one of his favorite pastimes.
I asked Barry to assume the role of ACB-L list moderator a year or so ago and while initially reluctant to do so, he took it on and to my mind, did an outstanding job of overseeing an active list with diverse points of view on many issues.
I got to know Barry Levine better during our most recent Midyear Board meeting and as it turned out, we shared similar opinions and perspectives on many issues. I will personally miss him and I'm sure that everyone who knew him sends our heartfelt condolences to his family...
And from the Media Access Group of WGBH:
Barry Levine, a member of the Media Access Group’s Consumer Advisory Group, and a long-time supporter of and advocate for greater access in general, and more described media in particular, passed away quite suddenly on Wednesday evening. Barry loved going to described movies near his home in Chicago, and worked towards the goal of all description tracks following films from theatrical release onto DVDs and online distribution platforms. That work continues, and he will be much missed.
