Thomas Levi

Thomas E. Levi, 89, formerly of Bismarck, ND, died August 26, 2008 in Lincoln, Massachusetts. A Memorial Service celebrating his life will be held on Tuesday, October 7, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 East Divide Avenue, Bismarck, ND 58801. Internment will be at St. Mary’s Cemetery following the service. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service at Eastgate Funeral Service, Bismarck. All of his friends and family are welcome to come and share experiences and remembrances and view a photographic history of his life. Tom and his family lived in Bismarck for almost 50 years before moving to Lincoln, Massachusetts in 1998. During his time in Bismarck he owned and operated Northwest Mapping Company, an oil and mineral mapping, information, and reproduction business. Tom was born on September 4, 1918 in Altus, Arkansas, near Fort Smith. He lived in Altus with his parents and four sisters until after the Great Depression, at which time he moved to Houston, Texas. There he started working in the oil industry and attended the University of Houston for engineering. Just five days before Pearl Harbor, on December 2, 1941, he joined the army. Tom served in the 814th Engineering Battalion, Aviation Division, during the Northern Africa campaign and in Italy. He served in Rome during its reconstruction, putting his engineering experience to use. The division was originally formed to construct airfields and provide engineering support for the front line forces. It was a quiet, somewhat secretive battalion whose troops tried to blend into the locality. This allowed them to survey lands during the day and build the airfields at night for the Army Air Corps, an early incarnation of the US Air Force. His military service was a source of pride for Tom, and during his 2006 visit to Bismarck, he participated in the Veteran’s History Project sponsored by the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Being able to contribute to this project was especially important to Tom. He was a photographer for his “B” company and possessed hundreds of original photographs and negatives, local memorabilia, and a written history of his service. As those who knew Tom remember, he tended to be a “collector”; he and his then fiancée, Harriet, kept the hundreds of letters they sent each other during his time in the Army - a true history of his service and their times. After WWII, Tom returned to Houston and joined Zingery Mapping Company in 1945. The company was a leader in the independent oil and mineral mapping industry in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. Quickly after being hired he became Zingery Mapping’s business manager. Once his future was secured, he married Harriet Triece in 1946. They remained in Houston during the city’s expansion and boom - as the population grew to over 500,000. In the late 1940’s, oil was discovered in North Dakota. Tom started looking to North Dakota as the next place for a major oil boom in the US. During that time, he visited North Dakota repeatedly to gather information on the state and local industry, and mineral rights ownership. In 1950, Tom, Harriet, and their children moved to Bismarck and opened the Northwest Mapping Company. The business was patterned upon the Zingery Mapping Company. He drew on both his experience at Zingery Mapping and as an engineer during WWII. His business would evolve along with the changing times in Bismarck. It expanded into a blue printing service for local architecture, engineering, and construction firms. He also developed a series of North Dakota hunting and fishing maps working closely with the North Dakota Department of Transportation and Game and Fish Department. In 1982, he was featured in an oil trade journal, the article was entitled “Tom Levi: Last of the Great Independent Map Makers”. Tom was proud of the relationships he developed through the business. He, along with many other members of the oil business community, contributed to the 1950s expansion of Bismarck. He was active in the Elks and American Legion and was an avid hunter and fisherman. He was a parishi0ner of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit. Tom also donated all of his original land/mineral ownership, oil production, and geology maps and archives from the late 40’s though 60’s to the State Historical Society of North Dakota in 2006. It is a time capsule of North Dakota during that period. Tom often reflected upon the contrast between his use of county record microfilm, hand written notes, linen drafting film, hand drawn ink maps where none existed, and the telephone and teletype system to today’s use of computers and the speed of information transmittal. Harriet, Tom’s wife of 38 years, passed away in 1984 at the age of 64, both shared a love of North Dakota’s oil industry. She worked with Tom at the Northwest Mapping Company. As befitting her spirit, she provided technical support to Tom when needed, but also was an independent consultant in the industry and later Bureau of Reclamation. He always said he didn’t retire; he just slowed down. Tom spent the rest of his 60’s keeping busy traveling with many friends and his dog, Jessie. In his 70’s he enjoyed spending time outdoors, fishing with his daughter Lise and Michael. His time fishing and boating on Lake Sakakawea and the Missouri River were among his favorites. In 1998, on his 80th birthday, he moved to Lincoln, Massachusetts to live with his son Tom Jr. and his wife Joyce. While living in Lincoln, they spent Tom’s 80’s traveling extensively. Daily he attended Senior Day Care in Lexington, Massachusetts to keep busy, meet new people, and be a cheerleader. He kept in touch with his friends as they moved around the country and the world. He found enjoyment in getting letters, emails, and seeing photographs of their families as they grew, and receiving baseball caps and other gifts from unique places. Tom, along with Tom Jr., began tracing their family heritage in 1998. While growing up in Arkansas, Tom only knew his immediate family. Later, he found out his ancestors were from London, England, came to Virginia in 1736, and participated in the Revolutionary War and Civil War. He took great joy in spending time at his son’s architectural firm. Tom chatted with employees about the way the industry had changed, and took great interest in their life stories. Those that spent time with him commented on his understanding of the field and how comfortable he was in the office. Tom was an avid reader; he loved reading and collecting books on different countries, cultures and nature. He always said books were full of knowledge and everyday he looked forward to learning something new. Proud of his past, he always looked to the future and kept his sense of humor—two qualities that kept him going later in his life. While physical limitations hampered his mobility, he never complained. He focused on his love of people and laughter to get though the toughest times. His gracious and courteous nature bound people to him; his instinct was to offer help to someone in need without thinking. While in Lincoln, he befriended many of his son’s and daughter in law’s friends and clients. He appreciated anyone with a smile and returned it tenfold. Tom passed away just nine days short of his 90th birthday at home surrounded by his family. Only a few days earlier, he talked of planning a trip to Rome - a trip for the entire family - so he could show his children an important period of his life and get pleasure from their explorations of the city he loved. He is survived by his children - Thomas C. Levi and his wife Joyce King of Lincoln, MA, Lise M Levi and Michael Griffin of Palatine, IL, and John Larry Levi of Denver, CO; two sisters - Monna Ruth Greer 94 of Lubbock, TX, and Colleen Kirby 84 of Tulsa, OK; and numerous cousins. In lieu of flowers, gifts in his name can be made to the Lexington Supportive Day Program, 20 Mill St., Lexington, MA 01773.

Thomas Levi

September 4, 1918 - August 26, 2008