Obituary of James E. Leavitt

James Edward Leavitt, of Peabody retired human resource manager for GTE Sylvania, vice president of Lite Array, California, and teacher at Chelsea High School. Mr. Leavitt died November 8, 2007 at age 76. He was the son of Clifford and Edith (Awalt) Leavitt and brother of Clifford and Paul Leavitt. Born in Boston, Jim grew up Woburn graduating from Woburn High School in 1950. He played on the varsity basketball and baseball teams and was awarded the school’s Ferullo Trophy for most valuable player on the baseball team in his senior year. Jim served in the United States Navy’s submarine service in Key West, Florida in the early 1950’s. Jim attended Boston University, Northeastern University, and The University of Maine where he studied business and chemistry. He was personnel manager for GTE Sylvania’s startup of its control devices operations in Standish, Maine in the mid 1960’s. He was active in community affairs in Maine and was little league president in Portland. Jim was a trustee of the North Shore Children’s Hospital in the 1970’s and served on the board of directors of the Unified Federal Credit Union for over 20 years. Active in tax preparation, real estate and retail business in his retirement years, Jim enjoyed weight lifting, golf, bowling, writing poetry, and especially watching his grandchildren play sports. Mr. Leavitt is survived by the love of his life and wife of fifty one years, Marilyn (Moody) Leavitt and their four sons and daughters-in-law, Larry and Lisa of Peabody, Kyle and Lauralee of North Andover, Gary and Susan of Woburn, and Keith and Elizabeth of Manchester-by-the-Sea, his nine adoring grandchildren, Jennifer, Jim and Steve of Peabody, Tyler and Laurielle of North Andover, Rene and Randy of Woburn and Keith and Lucas of Manchester-by-the-Sea. Jim is also survived by his many nieces, nephews and in-laws, the Leavitt Family of Woburn, the MacArthur, Rush, and DeMartino-Kelly Families of Everett, and the Gusmini Family of Somerville. Visiting hours for Jim are on Monday from 4:00 until 8:00 PM at the Conway, Cahill-Brodeur Funeral Home, 82 Lynn St.,Peabody Facility to which relatives and friends are kindly invited to attend. His Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday at 10:30 AM at the Funeral Home. If friends should desire, memorial contributions can be made in his name to the VNA Care Hospice, 5 Federal St., Danvers, Ma 01923.