Monday, June 16, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
Few people got more value for their dollar out of a round of golf than Al Levy.
As good as the longtime Las Vegas real estate business owner and developer was at putting together big land deals, that's how bad a duffer he was.
"Neither of us could hit the ball straight or putt, but we love the game," said former Las Vegas Mayor Ron Lurie, who often would join the former city councilman at the Las Vegas Country Club for 18 long holes.
"We sure got plenty of exercise. Al's the only guy I could ever beat."
When Levy talked to Lurie by phone Thursday from his room at a local hospital, he fondly looked forward to going home Saturday to be with his family and to get in a round of golf.
On Saturday, Alvin Merrill Levy, who had long suffered from heart problems, went home, where he suffered cardiac failure. He died that day at a Las Vegas hospital. He was 63.
Services for the 53-year resident and operator of the Levy Realty Co. will be noon Tuesday at Congregation Ner Tamid, 2761 Emerson Ave. Interment will follow at Palm Valley View Memorial Cemetery. Davis Paradise Valley Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.
Levy, the son of one-time Las Vegas City Commissioner Harry Levy, was appointed to the Ward 1 city commission seat in 1978. During his tenure, which included two more terms, the name was changed to the Las Vegas City Council. Levy lost in 1987 to Steve Miller.
"Al spent practically all of his life in Las Vegas and was deeply concerned with its welfare and growth," Lurie said. "As a commissioner and councilman, he worked hard to make sure sufficient services were provided, including public safety, roads, parks and schools."
He laid the groundwork for the city's technology center in the northwest -- then a barren stretch of desert with great potential for development.
"Being in real estate, Al was able to show the council how buying and selling the land would work to the city's advantage," Lurie said, noting that the idea was radical for its time because it meant the city would compete with area developers.
"The plan would allow the city to work with the Chamber of Commerce and the Nevada Development Authority to bring in new business, and allow those businesses to negotiate a better price with the city for the land."
Levy, however, was known for being short on patience and set in his ways -- traits that can only hurt in politics, as it did in one particular land deal that came under much scrutiny.
Levy and Lurie, along with other prominent Las Vegans, entered into a partnership to purchase land in northwest Las Vegas in 1985.
They were criticized for being in a conflict-of-interest situation because they allegedly took advantage of inside information on the projected future value of the land.
Levy, who was out of office when the controversy broke, shrugged off critics, saying it was a good business deal and there was nothing wrong with it.
Lurie, still in office and in the spotlight of that criticism, later opted not to run for re-election, although he, too, maintained nothing illegal was done. No one involved in the purchase was ever charged with any crimes.
Levy's apparent unwillingness to take advice and criticism also spread to other areas, including his campaigning and lifestyle.
"When he was running against Miller, I'd tell him, 'Al, you've got to get out there and work harder,'" Lurie said, recalling that Levy probably figured he would win based on all the good he had done in office. "In the end, Steve just worked harder and won by a few votes."
In his later years, Levy, other than playing golf, did not take good care of himself as he should have.
"I was constantly on him to eat properly, get exercise and quit smoking," Lurie said, acknowledging that it often was a losing battle. "Al lived life the way he wanted to live."
Lurie praised his friend for his strong work ethic, his dedication to the people of Las Vegas and his love for his family.
Born Aug. 28, 1933, in Los Angeles, Levy came to Las Vegas at age 10, where his father became a prominent civic leader.
Al Levy was a past president of the Las Vegas Board of Realtors and the Jaycees and a member of the Masonic Lodge of Las Vegas Scottish Rite, Zelzah Shrine Temple and Rotary Club.
In 1983, Levy met and discussed economics with then-President Ronald Reagan and Vice President George Bush.
Levy is survived by his wife, Joanne Levy of Las Vegas; a son, Andrew Levy of Las Vegas; three daughters, Jodi Pick of Annandale, Va., Peggy Hart of Scottsdale, Ariz., and Francine Grimmer of Poway Calif; a sister, Elaine Turk of Encino, Calif.; and nine grandchildren.
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