Attorney Thomas Levy, wife Shirley Levy, and brother Rev. Dr. James Levy were called home
The Midlands lost three members of a prominent family last week. Attorney Thomas Levy Sr. died on January 15. His older brother, Rev. Dr. James Levy Jr., died the same day. Two days later, Thomas’ wife, Richland One educator Shirley Levy, also died.
Attorney Thomas Belton Levy, Sr. was born on January 7, 1948, in Camden, South Carolina to the late Reverend James Charles Levy, Sr. and the late Rosena Belton Levy. Thomas graduated from Long High School in Cheraw in 1966, and went on to attend Morris College in Sumter, SC. He graduated from Morris College in 1969, and then moved to Conway, SC to begin his career as an Educator, teaching Social Studies at Whittemore and Conway High Schools. While he was teaching in Conway, he dated and married the former Shirley Jean Ragin of Sumter, also a 1969 graduate of Morris College.
When Thom decided to attend Law School, he and Jean moved to Columbia to begin their married life and to start their family. He graduated from The University of South Carolina School of Law in 1974, with admittance to the South Carolina Bar in the same year. After graduating from law school, he was hired as a full time Richland County Public Defender and as a parttime Richland County Assistant Attorney. He was the first African American hired for both of those positions. He started his own private law practice in Columbia in 1976, and became a highly soughtafter personal injury, criminal defense, and domestic relations attorney.
Levy was active in numerous professional organizations including the National Bar Association, the South Carolina Bar, the Richland County Bar, the Columbia Lawyers Association, and the South Carolina Black Lawyers Association.
The late Dr. Luns C. Richardson, former Morris College President, hired and appointed
Attorney Levy in 1996 to serve as the Attorney for Morris College and to the Morris College Board of Trustees, both positions he maintained until his illness.
Mrs. Shirley Jean Ragin Levy was the sixth of seven children of the late Mitchell Ragin and late Clementine Moore Ragin. She was born October 4, 1945 in Sumter, South Carolina. God called her home in the early morning hours of Friday, January 17, 2025, at MUSC-Downtown Hospital after a lengthy illness.
Jean was raised in Sumter and graduated from Lincoln High School in 1963. She continued her education at Morris College in Sumter, where she majored in Elementary Education. After graduating from Morris, Jean moved to Conway, SC, where she taught in the public schools of Horry County. While in Conway, she fell in love with and married her soulmate and love of her life, Thomas B. Levy, Sr., who was teaching at Whittemore and Conway High Schools in Conway. Jean and Thom were united in Holy Matrimony on December 23, 1971.
Jean taught and was a guidance counselor in the public schools of Richland County for more than 30 years. She taught at Greenview Elementary and J.P. Thomas Elementary Schools. She retired in 2014.
Thomas and Shirley were the proud parents of three young men, Thom Jr. “Kip”, Trey and Todd. They enjoyed spending time with their sons, and they shared a love of trav-
of being a trailblazer.
“While playing varsity volleyball, I was the only team member to make the All-State team,” Woods recalled. “This was published in The Gamecock student newspaper.”
During her final year at South Carolina, three and 1/2 scholarships were awarded to varsity volleyball. The recipients were the other co-captain and team setters. Woods was left out.
“My Mom was a single mother trying to make ends meet,” Woods explained, “My co-captain’s father was a local business owner. That scholarship would have made a difference for me and my family, but instead it went to three white persons on the team.”
Woods still feels the hurt having been denied the scholarship she knew in her heart she deserved. She, her mother and family all knew Woods was the best player on the team. But she had to share the co-captain position with a white student because they did not want a black to be a cocaptain.
Woods did not take this injustice lying down.
“I opted not to play volleyball in my last year,” she said.
Woods focused on becoming a student teacher and beginning a career as an up-and-coming physical educator.
“I taught physical education at Wil Lou Gray opportunity school for a year and
a half,” she recalled. “I then became a scholarship recipient at Georgia State University (GSU) in Atlanta with a major in Counseling. While at GSU I played with a junior Olympic volleyball exhibition team for about a year.”
One day, she found out that her white counterparts were getting paid, and she wasn’t. She stopped playing volleyball.
Woods graduated from GSU and started a career as a high school guidance counselor. She also coached girl volleyball at Douglas County High School in the Atlanta area.
“I became Regional Coach of the Year,” Woods recalled. “I continued my coaching career at other high schools and took my teams to regionals in all endeavors.”
Her high school career led her to become a college counselor. Woods became a Director of Counseling and a Director of Financial Aid.
After 25 years of working as an educator Woods retired.
Presently, she lives in Atlanta and is the proud mother of a beautiful daughter who works in corporate America.
Although she still bears the scars from her experiences at USC, she says that she is grateful that female athletes are finally being recognized for their contributions
The recognition at the USC game was an important acknowledgment of Woods’ contributions and the challenges she faced. It also put a light on the progress made and the work that still needs to be done. The crowd cheering for her and the players asking for her autograph made her feel that it was finally all worth it.
“My love for volleyball will always be a part of my achievements in life,” Woods said. “And now I’m inspiring the next generation of women athletes.”
eling, seafood, football and basketball.
The Levys were active members of Zion Baptist Church in Columbia for her entire adult life. At Zion, Shirley sang on the Zion Mass Choir, was a Deaconess, and taught Sunday School for many years. Thomas served honorably as the Chairman of the Deacon Board and the Trustee Ministry.
Reverend Dr. James Charles Levy, Jr. was eldest son of the late Reverend James Charles Levy, Sr. and the late Rosena Belton Levy. He was born in New York City on July 27, 1941. He was called from labor to reward in the early
hours of Wednesday, January 15, 2025 in Youngstown, Ohio.
Reverend Dr. Levy was a graduate of Long High School in Cheraw, South Carolina. After high school, he attended Morris College, Sumter, South Carolina, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1963. After college, he enlisted in the United States Air Force, doing a tour in the Philippines. Later, he graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago, Illinois.
Reverend Dr. Levy was a licensed funeral director and embalmer in the State of South Carolina, working with Morris
Funeral Cottage in Cheraw, South Carolina. Later, he was called into the ministry and pastored many churches in North Carolina and South Carolina over the years. Some of those churches included Mount Moriah Baptist Church, Camden; Charity Baptist Church, North Charleston; and most recently, Jesus Joy Apostolic Church, North Charleston. After retirement, he relocated to Youngstown, Ohio.
Rev. Dr. James Levy Jr., was funeralized on January 24, 2025. Funeral services for Thomas and Shirley Levy will be held on Thursday, January 30, 2025 at Zion Baptist Church.
