By Rebecca Goodman
The Cincinnati Enquirer

AMBERLEY VILLAGE - In 1990, Aaron Levine co-founded the University of Cincinnati's Institute for Learning in Retirement, which was the first such program in Ohio and provided the model for similar ones at the University of Dayton and Miami University.

"He was the one who brought the whole thing to the University of Cincinnati," said Gloria Giannestras, acting co-director. "He had gone to Harvard to visit and his good friend and classmate up there was head of a similar program. That fired Aaron up. He thought the University of Cincinnati should have one. He brought it back here.

"He left us a wonderful legacy. And he was very active until he was too ill to help us."

Mr. Levine died of complications of diabetes June 9 at Hospice of Cincinnati in Blue Ash. The Amberley Village resident was 85.

After he retired from Federated Department Stores in 1982, Mr. Levine enrolled in German language classes at the University of Cincinnati.

"The kids in the class were 18-30. I was grandpa to them," Mr. Levine told the Enquirer in 1996. "I thought how nice it would be to study with people who shared some common ground: the Depression, the war, being a grandparent."

Mr. Levine acted on his idea. After his trip to Harvard and one to Northwestern University, where he observed a group of retirees discussing ethical philosophy, he and Jean Eggers, who was then the director of Elder Programs at UC's Division of Continuing Education, founded the Institute of Learning in Retirement through UC's College of Evening and Continuing Education. It offered noncredit courses to students 55 and older.

Eggers, who has since died, took care of the administrative duties while Mr. Levine designed the curriculum and recruited moderators.

UC bestowed an honorary doctor of humanities degree on Mr. Levine, who was also elected to the Ohio State Senior Citizens Hall of Fame in 1996.

Born in Boston in 1918, he was a member of the Brookline High School class of 1935. He graduated from Harvard and served as a U.S. Army intelligence officer interrogating Nazi Party officials after World War II.

After his honorable discharge from the service, he engaged in the exporting business in Bermuda from 1948 until 1956, when he joined Federated Department Stores. He retired as director of operations research in 1982.

Mr. Levine was a senior national financial officer for Hebrew Union College from 1983 to 1988.

He and his wife, Nancy Goldstein-Levine, received the 1997 Community Service Award from the American Jewish Committee, Cincinnati Chapter.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 47 years, Estelle Malloy Levine, in 1988 and a son Jonathan Levine in 2001.

In addition to his wife, Nancy, survivors include a son, Joseph of Santa Cruz, Calif.; a daughter, Deborah Levine of Chattanooga, Tenn.; a brother, Solomon Levine of Madison, Wis.; and two grandchildren.

Services have been held.

Memorials: Hebrew Union College American Jewish Archives, 3101 Clifton Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45220-2488; Institute for Learning in Retirement, P.O. Box 210146, Cincinnati, OH 45221; Rockdale Temple, 8501 Ridge Road, Cincinnati, OH 45236;or Northern Hills Synagogue, 5714 Fields Ertel Road, Cincinnati, OH 45249.

E-mail rgoodman@enquirer.com