Arthur Richard Levey

Arthur Richard Levey, 84, of Morehead City, passed away on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, at the Crystal Coast Hospice House.

“I could use some help,” he said, talking in his sleep. These days, Arthur was sleeping a lot. “On what?” asked Heather. “Your puzzle?” His answer was an emphatic “Yes!” “What letters do you have?” Heather went along with this half-sleep, half-awake conversation. “Nothing.” “Well, I can’t help you if you don’t have any letters yet. Tell me when you get some and I’ll work with you on it.” That’s how it went a couple of weeks ago. It didn’t sound all that different from any conversation the husband-and-wife team would have had in their 64-year marriage. They watched Jeopardy together, she helped him on Scrabble puzzles, and he helped her with the New York Times crossword puzzles – especially on Saturdays, which are particularly difficult.

Arthur Richard Levey died of an aggressive cancer, leaving Heather Clover Levey to seek puzzle help from her children and grandchildren, or cheat with Google like everyone else. Arthur and Heather were college sweethearts who chose to share a life, raise a family and grow old together. They had a mutual love of wildlife, and always shared their home and hearts with cats.

Arthur had one other life-long love. In New York as a child, in D.C. as a student and young adult, and later in North Carolina where he settled, there was always fishing. On a beach or from a boat, he was the guy to watch. In 1970, he was a founding member of the Outer Banks Sportfishers, where he earned more trophies than he knew what to do with. Arthur was the guy who knew by instinct where the fish would be biting. And he knew by experience how to catch the big one.

He was confident in his abilities, winning fishing championships and flourishing in industry. As Vice President of Henry’s Fishing Tackle and Sporting Goods, Arthur made a huge impact on the business, and perhaps an even bigger impact on those who worked with him. He was a man who cared deeply about the people he worked with…subtly helping in whatever way was needed and making life-long friends in the process.

In addition to Heather, Arthur leaves their three children, Arthur Richard Levey Jr. and wife Martha of Emerald Isle, Robert Aubrey Levey and wife Lisa of Morehead City, and Diana Mary Levey and husband Gregory Rideout of Raleigh. Arthur is also survived by his sister, Barbara Jean Cain in Morehead City, and his niece, Danielle Kristine Cain in Charleston. He leaves four biological grandchildren, Michael Aubrey Levey, Christopher Ryan Levey, Trevor Andrew Levey and Abigail Leigh Levey, as well as three grandchildren by marriage, Hannah James Rideout, William George Ahlquist and Marianna Sharpe Ahlquist. He also leaves behind two beloved cats, Lucky and SC, one of which may not have even noticed that he’s gone.

Naturally, Heather will miss Arthur most significantly. But Joe Biden will miss him too -- Arthur hoped to make it to November to cast his vote for him.

No service is planned, but because of the generous and loving care he received in his last weeks, we think Arthur would approve of donations being made in his memory to the Crystal Coast Hospice House, P.O. Box 640, Newport, NC 28570; www.crystalcoasthospicehouse.org

Family and friends are welcome to submit online condolences at www.mundenfuneralhome.net

Arrangements by Munden Funeral Home and Crematory in Morehead City, NC.