In Memory of Dr. Josh Levitsky 

Josh Levitsky MD, MS, devoted  his career to the field of hepatology and transplantation. He was a leader of leaders. As the Chief of Hepatology at Northwestern, as the president of American Society for Transplantation (AST) or as a thought leader on the council for International Liver Transplant Society (ILTS) and committees within the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease (AASLD), he left his mark. He was a force, a personality and a treasure.

He was an accomplished clinician and researcher, with innumerable grants, publications and presentations.  His transplant fellowship mentor Dr Michael Sorrell, at the University of Nebraska, described him as a “savant”. He had an incredible ability to sift and sort information into maleable parts to educate mentees and colleagues alike. He did not just teach facts but also compassion, empathy and good clinical sense. Through his passion for teaching and mentoring, these attributes have been ‘payed forward’ within those he mentored.

Although his work gave him tremendous pleasure and accomplishment, his true joy came from his family. The love of his life, Rachel and his children Mia and Ben meant the world to him and the love he felt for them was palpable. He loved his dogs and had a passion for music (particularly vinyl). He worked hard but knew balance. He was a calming presence in any situation.

His smile, wit and dry humor, along with random goofy acts will be sorely missed. The golden radio voice of ‘AJT highlights’ is gone. Josh’s contributions to the transplant community will be felt for years and decades to come. Josh’s impact on those who knew him will be felt for a lifetime.

We lost a treasure last week.

Dr. Josh Levitsky Obituary