Melvin Leventhal, beloved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, died August 20 at the age of 90, at Seacrest Village, Encinitas, with family in attendance. Mel was born in the Bronx to Kate (Yellin) and Joseph Leventhal; the family later moved to California, and Los Angeles was Mel's lifelong home. Mel wed Sharlene Hoffman in 1953; they established their home in West LA and raised four children together. They were happily married for sixty years until Sharlene’s death in 2014. After attending Fairfax High School, Mel graduated from UCLA with a degree in business, and he remained a devoted alumnus and Bruins fan. He served stateside in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. An entrepreneur, he owned the Teeter Totter Children’s Shops in the San Fernando Valley for many years – a fixture in the lives of area families -- and later turned his business acumen to building LLCO importing. Mel and Sharlene traveled globally, trekking in Nepal, the Swiss Alps, and Peru, completing long-distance bicycle tours on several continents, and attending four Olympic games -- and came to have a network of friends around the world. Devoted to serving his community, Mel was a neighborhood council member, a member of the LA Bicycle Advisory Committee, and a docent for the botanical garden at UCLA. Mel chose an early retirement enriched by travel, time with family, cultural events, learning, and reading. He, along with Sharlene, especially loved being active grandparents. Mel is predeceased by his brother Leon, sister Ruth, and his daughter Nancy. He is survived by his daughter Joan Goldblatt and her husband Steve of Seattle; son Robert Leventhal and his wife Elisa Irwin of Washington, DC; daughter Cathy Pucher and her husband Shawn of San Diego; his five grandchildren Sarah (Chris Emerson), Kieran, Dahra, Paige, and Andrew; two great-grandsons; and his cherished nieces and nephews and their families. A memorial gathering will be held at a later date. Donations in memory of Mr. Leventhal may be made to the Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA, the City of Hope, or a charity of your choice.