Jordan Levy, former Worcester mayor and radio host, dies at 79

WORCESTER — Jordan Levy, a Vernon Hill native whose outspoken approach served him well as mayor and as a talk show host, has died. He was 79.

"There are so many people he did things for. He loved the city of Worcester," said WTAG radio host Jim Polito, announcing his colleague's death Friday morning.

Levy passed away Thursday night at the Jewish Healthcare Center in Worcester after a brief illness.

A daughter, Sherri Beth Carpineto, called her father “a champion for Worcester” and “supporter of the people of Worcester,” who gave his time and money to many area charities.

“As much as he relished being a politician, a radio talk show host even more, my dad shined the most behind the spotlight and not in front of it,” Carpineto said. “As a father, a grandfather, a husband and certainly as a humanitarian, he gave a huge amount of his time and money that people didn’t know and really volunteered to make the city and the community better.”

The son of Benjamin and Rachel (Sher) Levy, Jordan Levy graduated from Worcester Junior College and pursued a successful business career, working for many years at Parker Affiliated Cos., where he became president and CEO.

Obituary Jordan Levy

Levy was a four-term mayor of Worcester, serving one term in the early 1980s and then, after a gap, three more terms starting in 1988. He also served on the board of the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority and was a member of the Governor's Council.

He burst onto the city's political scene in the mid-1970s, earning a seat on the City Council in 1975, serving until 1993. He was a Democrat.

His opinions, if not controversial, were delivered in impassioned and fiery tones. He voiced opposition to the proposed civic center, now the DCU Center. One of the more popular segments of his radio show was his playful way of showing disgust. "Time to throw them under the bus," he would declare.

He would often reference the morning newspaper, reading aloud from a story as the crinkle of the unfolding newspaper went out over the airwaves.

His election as mayor in November 1987 marked the first time the city elected its leader by popular vote. Before the charter was changed, Worcester's mayor was chosen by fellow city councilors.

'A man of the people'

“Maybe cliché, but Jordan Levy was a man of the people,” said Nick Kotsopoulos, a former newspaper reporter. “He was a voice at City Hall that resonated with people. He called things as he saw them. He wasn’t afraid to ruffle feathers, which he ruffled many…He spoke his voice and people heard him loud and clear.”

Kotsopoulos, who was the Telegram & Gazette’s city government reporter/City Hall reporter for nearly 40 years, started covering City Hall in 1981, which included most of Levy’s tenure on the City Council and as mayor.

Kotsopoulos said Levy always had the time for constitutuents and newspaper reporters, no matter what time of the day or what day it was, even if it was a Jewish holiday like Yom Kippur.

Kotsopoulos recalled: “I never forget Jordan Levy. It’s a Jewish holiday. And the MBTA was going on strike and I don’t know why they (the newspaper) wanted me to call Jordan Levy, because Worcester didn’t even have commuter rail service at the time. And, I’m saying to myself, ‘Gee, it’s Yom Kippur. What am I going to say?’ So I call him up. I started all apologetic. ‘I’m sorry to bother you. This and that.’ And, he goes, 'What can I do for you?' And I ask him the question. And then he goes on a tirade for five minutes."

Gary Rosen — who served on the School Committee for 10 years, an at-large city councilor for more than eight years and a District 5 councilor for four years — had nothing but praise for enthusiasm and love for the city.

“Jordan was loud and exuberant about his love and concern for the city of Worcester, and when the elected and appointed officials made unwise decisions, he let all of us and let the public know,” Rosen said.

Rosen said he talked to Levy a few months back, and the former politician-turned-radio pundit was in good spirits and was hopefully that he was going to be able to return to the airwaves one day of the week. Unfortunately, for his fans (and, more so, his critics), that never happened.

“It would have been nice to hear again,” Rosen said. “One day of the week, he would only talk local. He was so tuned in on the political scene, just a Worcester icon. Interesting. Informative. Opinionated. Jordan never lacked for an opinion on anything, especially anything local. He was a treat to listen to.”

Former Worcester Mayor Raymond V. Mariano said he and Levy have been great friends over the year and the two men just had a great, long chat two weeks ago. They both started their political career in 1975 as first-time candidates.

“When I was on the council, we were great friends, very close friends. And I enjoyed serving with him. Of all the people that I ever served with — and even the people who I have known in other parts of elected office — Jordan had more fun than anybody else,” Mariano said.

And while Levy seemed to be a natural leader and born politician, Mariano said that was not the case.

“Jordan was a shy kid who grew up with a lisp, who over time, grew out of those things,” Mariano said. “He had the ability to get people’s attention when he spoke because he always spoke with great passion…And people paid attention to him, more than they paid attention to others.”

Successful in politics, business

While remembered for his politics, he was a successful businessman, serving as president of Parker Affiliated Cos. of Worcester. He also found success as the host of the Jordan Levy Show on WTAG radio, where his opinions were delivered with passion and, as if to build anticipation, lengthy pauses.

Mayor Joseph M. Petty, who requested that flags on city buildings are flown at half-staff Friday, called Levy a “true trailblazer in city government.”

In addition to his political and broadcasting career, Levy was chair of the Worcester Licensing Commission for 10 years and was chair of the Worcester State College Board of Trustees. He also served as president of the WSC Foundation.

Levy's wife, Maxine, died in 2010. They had two daughters, Tammi Levy-Cantor of Newton and Sherri Beth Carpineto of Marlbehead, and four grandchildren.

Carpineto said the two were incredibly close and would regularly talk twice a day on the phone.

“He was the dad that certainly worried about my sister Tammi and I very much and always checked in,” she said. “He always wanted to help, always offering advice, whether we wanted it or not. He was just always, always there for us.”

Carpineto said her father was also very proud of his Jewish faith and never backed down from that.

Carpineto said her father became sick earlier in the year and took time off from the radio show to recover. He got better and had full intentions of returning to WTAG. Then, all of a sudden, he got sick again.

“He planned to coming back to the radio station in July but, unfortunately, got an illness, got sick quickly and made the decision not to come back,” Carpineto said. “He felt like he wanted to stay involved. He had moved to assisted living and continued to actually even to speak there. He would speak a couple of times a month to the residents there and continue to serve his community that way, as well.”

A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Monday at Congregation Beth Israel, 15 Jamesbury Drive, followed by graveside service and interment at Holy Society Cemetery, Havana Road, Leicester. After interment, Shiva/visiting hours will be at Congregation Beth Israel until 5 p.m. Shiva/visiting hours will also be held on from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday at Jewish Healthcare Center, 629 Salisbury St., and that evening from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Levy-Cantor/Cantor home in Newton. Arrangements are under the care of Miles Funeral Home of Holden.

Return to telegram.com for more on this story.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Jordan Levy, former Worcester mayor and WTAG host, dies at 79