Emily Hosley Levine, 88, of Sarasota, died Feb. 18.

Mrs. Levine graduated in 1943 from Larson Junior College in Hamden, Conn., and became a successful fashion buyer and merchandiser for Macy’s, G. Fox and Burdines. She later founded Emily Lawrence Stores, a chain located in Cape Cod, Mass., upstate New York and Colorado.

A lover of the arts, Mrs. Levine served on the Asolo Repertory Theatre’s board of directors and enjoyed performances at Sarasota West Coast Symphony, the Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, Florida Studio Theatre, the Sarasota Opera and the Ringling School Library Association. In Massachusetts, she served as president of the Raymond Moore Foundation, which runs the Cape Playhouse, the Cape Cinema and the Cape Museum of Art.

Mrs. Levine became one of the country’s first female yacht club commodores in 1990, when she was named commodore of the Dennis Yacht Club. She was also a member of the Sarasota Yacht Club.

Mrs. Levine was an active member of the Daughters of the American Revolution for 68 years, most recently of the Sara DeSoto Chapter.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Larry; daughter, Elena Levine Smith; son, Richard; and one granddaughter.

She is survived by her brother, Henry Hosley; children, Joseph Groff Brillinger, Jeffrey Paul Brillinger and Anne Hall Levine; two grandchildren; and one great-grandchild.

A funeral service was held Sunday, Feb. 24, at Toale Brothers Funeral Home.

Memorial donations may be made to the Cape Cod Center for the Arts at capeplayhouse.com.

 

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