- Date Of Birth: October 28, 1930
- Date Of Death: January 4, 2021
- Spouse: Barbara McDonald Levine
- City: Philadelphia
- State: Pennsylvania
Murray Levine, a security industry legend, passed away on January 4, 2021.
Mr. Levine was born in Philadelphia, PA on October 28, 1930. He began his security career with Globe Investigations in Philadelphia, later becoming the manager of their office in Jacksonville, FL. In 1964, he was invited to interview with George Wackenhut in Coral Gables, FL, and was hired as a manager to open markets around the country for The Wackenhut Corporation. This was the beginning of a long and storied career where Mr. Levine was an innovator of many improvements to the traditional private security officer model.
His most notable creation was the Custom Protection Officer Division which provided a more professional and better-trained officer. When he pitched the idea to Mr. Wackenhut, he was told it would never sell in the commercial sector. Mr. Levine, in his classic style, launched the program on his own and only told Mr. Wackenhut when it was too late and it became the most successful program in the industry.
He even designed the uniform! Rising through the company ranks to Vice President, he grew the Miami area to the largest and most successful office in the company, expanding to become the Florida Region covering the entire state and becoming the model for offices across the country.
In 2010, NASCO awarded Mr. Levine the Colonel Edgar B. Watson Award which is given in recognition of an individual’s contributions to the private security industry as a whole including their superior leadership, commitment to higher standards, advocacy for increased positive awareness, and valor in their duties as a security representative. This award was the culmination of his life’s work in the security industry.
Later, in his career, he became a mentor to hundreds of new managers, including his son, Drew, who is the company’s US President today. Drew has stated on numerous occasions that without Murray Levine, his and 100’s of other successful careers would not be what they are today.
Mr. Levine loved mentoring people and helped thousands over his career and after his retirement. Possessed of rapier wit and keen intellect, he was a tireless champion for the employees and clients, always keeping their needs at the forefront of his business decisions. Family, friends, and clients can tell stories about how this remarkable man impacted their lives.
In his leisure time, he loved playing tennis, following the Philadelphia Eagles football team, and playing with his German Shepherd. Over the years he also served as a Reserve Police Officer with the South Miami Police Department, the North Lauderdale Public Safety Dept. and the Lighthouse Point Police Dept. He was also an expert polygrapher and served both police agencies and Wackenhut.
Mr. Levine is survived by his loving wife, Barbara McDonald Levine, his children; Drew Levine (Susanne Jorgensen), Lynne Levine Tucker and Francine Levine Whiting (Pat); Stepsons, Mac Glore (Liza) and Trenton Glore (Hui); grandchildren Nicole LeVine (Kurt Weist), Michelle Brennan, Thomas Brennan, Alexandria Levine, Jessica Tucker Page (Jonathan Honeycutt) Paul Daniel Tucker (Erica) and his loving and cherished nieces and nephews including Carol Levine Cirigliano. He is predeceased by his parents, Frank and Henrietta Levine, his daughter, Leslie Levine Brennan, son-in-law (Paul Ellis Tucker, who was Lynne’s late husband), and his brother, Sidney Levine.
