Obituary: Robert William Levy - Atlanta Jewish Times

Robert William Levy, 56, passed away on March 12, 2025, from an infection that was a complication of treatment for leukemia. His immediate family in Australia and several relatives from the U.S. were by his side.

Born in Chicago in March 1969, Rob (aka Robbie) moved to Atlanta with his family at age 2. After graduating from Riverwood High School in Sandy Springs and the University of Georgia, he set out to explore the world (a choice that has inspired many of his family members to do the same).

Rob’s many international adventures included working on an Israeli kibbutz and renting mopeds in Santorini, Greece. No matter where he went, he kept up with family. While working at an Australian youth hostel, he met his wife, Pauline, when she was traveling after college. They were inseparable for several years, backpacking through southeast Asia, Europe and Africa. Settling in Atlanta, they were married in 2002; since 2011, they have lived in or near Pauline’s hometown of Torquay, Australia.

Rob was fun, funny, sarcastic and brilliant. A renaissance man, he was interested in every subject, and he loved a good debate (stick to logic and reasoned position, and you’d be fine). For the past several years, Rob dove into learning French and helping others learn, too: he helped create online communities of French speakers that now include 85,000 members. Rob loved books of all kinds and formats. His YouTube channel, originally created to provide insurance records for his extensive library, gathered so many subscribers that he was paid for posting videos.

Rob was also deeply interested in people. He would happily spend time learning from everyone he met. When he spoke with you, you had his full attention. Rob was also committed to his family, once traveling more than 24 hours in each direction to attend a cousin’s wedding and spend time with his brother and sisters. To the next generation, Rob was a wonderful uncle; his family cherishes many such memories.

Beyond those interests, Rob was a great writer: intelligent, probing, and full of wit. He put those skills to work in his career as a technical writer for several companies, working the last several years for Salesforce.

Rob is survived by his wife, Pauline Iacono, and their children, Piper and Ed, of Charlemont, Victoria, Australia; mother and stepfather, Karen Shaw and Larry Hohm of Seattle; father and stepmother, David and Diane Levy of Atlanta; siblings and stepbrothers, Jeffrey Levy (Lindsay) of Arlington, Va., Danielle Levy (Andrew Schwartz) of Marietta, Margo Levy Marks (Ben) of Dunwoody, Cort Haber (Aimee) of Atlanta, and Mitch Haber (Lizzie) of Alpharetta; many aunts, uncles, cousins, nephews, and nieces across the U.S., Spain, and Malaysia; and a worldwide community of friends.

The family would appreciate donations in Rob’s memory to The Leukemia Foundation in Australia (https://www.leukaemia.org.au/) or Doctors Without Borders (https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org).

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