Shirley Rita (Fern) Levinson

Shirley Rita (Fern) Levinson lived a full life of 96 years before passing away peacefully on March 10, 2026. Born in New London, Connecticut, to Mae and Sam Fern, she grew up there before moving to New York City after college and then spending most of her adult life in Massachusetts. In recent years she resided at Newbridge Hebrew Senior Life. Throughout every chapter of her life, Shirley remained deeply connected to family and friends.

She was the sister of the late Sanford Fern of Rhode Island and is survived by her younger brother, Saul Fern of New Jersey. Shirley was married to the late Robert P. Levinson, known as Bob, with whom she raised three children: Karyl Levinson Conescu, Alyssa Myres, and the late Harris Richard Levinson. She was Grammy to four grandchildren—Reva Conescu, Benjamin Conescu, Jordan Myres, and Sarah Myres—and great-grandmother to Wesley Conescu, Myles May, and Elizabeth Myres.

After Bob’s death in 1980, Shirley married the late Carl Caplan, who brought stepchildren Stacey Caplan and Peter Caplan into her life, along with three step-grandchildren, Jake Prince, Lindsay Barre, and Brett Caplan, and step-great-granddaughter Lyla Barre. Her extended family also included son-in-laws Josh Conescu and Dade Myres, as well as daughter-in-law Susan Caplan.

A graduate of Syracuse University with a degree in sociology, Shirley later earned a master’s degree in library science from Simmons College. She worked as a corporate librarian for several years at AVCO/Textron Defense Systems. Deeply committed to community, she volunteered with the New England Home for Little Wanderers, taught English to newly arrived Russian immigrants in the Merrimack Valley, served as a certified Court Appointed Special Advocate, and worked as an ombudsperson for elder care. She was also an active member of Temple Emanuel in Andover for many years, where she found joy in socializing, cooking for family and friends, and helping others in Andover, Amesbury, and Tewksbury.

Shirley was laid to rest in Temple Emanuel’s cemetery beside her first husband, Bob, near her second husband, Carl, and surrounded in spirit by many more family members and lifelong friends.