A Michigan family is mourning the loss of two of their loved ones who died in separate accidents between Christmas and New Year’s Day. Marylou Levitan and Scott Levitan, both 66, were married for 40 years. On December 27, 2024, Marylou died in a car crash.
Just a day before that, her husband fell through the ice while ice fishing with his grandson. Days later, on New Year’s Eve, Scott died from his injuries.
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The day after Christmas, Scott and his grandson fell through the ice.
As they drilled a hole to prepare for ice fishing in Addison Township, Michigan, Scott fell into the icy water, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office shared in a news release. His 15-year-old grandson called 911. But as he tried to help his grandfather, he also fell into the water. The grandson was treated and released after falling into the water. Scott remained in critical condition as of December 29, and later died from his injuries.
The day after Scott and his grandson fell through the ice, Marylou was killed in a head-on collision.
Nearly 24 hours after the tragic ice incident, Marylou was on her way to pick up her husband’s car when a 19-year-old reportedly hit the car she was traveling in.
According to the sheriff’s office, Marylou was a backseat passenger in a 2o21 Jeep Grand Cherokee. First responders pronounced her dead at the scene of the crash. The man driving the Jeep and his wife, both 62, were taken to hospital for treatment. The 19-year-old driver, who was also injured in the crash, is currently listed in stable condition.
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One of Scott's longtime friends said he 'just loved his grandson.'
Speaking to WXYZ, longtime friends praised Scott, with one friend, Jamie Izzo, calling him “one of the best human beings I’ve ever met in my life.”
According to the news outlet, Scott previously taught at South Lyon Middle School. The school’s head football coach, Jeff Henson, told the news outlet that Scott adored his grandson. “He would travel pretty much every weekend, as far as I knew, to go see his grandson in Pennsylvania,” Henson recalled.
Scott and Marylou's daughter and nephew shared a few details about them.
Though they didn’t want to appear on camera for an interview with WXYZ, the couple’s daughter and nephew said Scott and Marylou enjoyed going to sporting events together. Marylou was a Detroit Tigers season ticket holder, and also rooted for the Detroit Red Wings and the Detroit Lions.
The sheriff's office noted that the family is dealing with an 'unspeakable tragedy.'
“This is an unspeakable tragedy that has befallen this family in a very short time,” Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in the December 29 news release. “Two tragic and unrelated incidents happen within 24 hours of each other…Our prayers are with the family.”
Loved ones started a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise money for the family. In an update posted on January 1, Katelynn Levitan said, “there is still a long way to go, but our family is doing ok.”
She added: “We are beyond thankful to everyone who has reached out, visited at the hospital, sent meals, made a donation towards this fund, etc… We plan to use these donations towards any lingering medical expenses as well as towards the Celebration of Life we will be doing in the summer for Scott and Mary Lou.”
