Danielle Taylor Leventhal, beautiful ray of sunshine and strong-willed woman, passed away on August 4, 2021 at the age of 27, after four years of outliving terminal cancer. She is survived by her parents, Eric and Jennifer (Hecht) Leventhal of Rye (formerly Chappaqua); brother Alex Leventhal; Cavapoo Hudson; maternal grandparents Kelvin and Carolyn (Robinson) Hecht of Avon, CT; paternal grandparents Dr. Gerald and Judi (Blumenreich) Leventhal of Scarsdale, NY; Aunt Carrie Hecht Trookman (Nate) of Colorado Springs, CO; Uncle Charles Hecht (Robyn) of Needham, MA; Aunt Robyn Leventhal of Portland, OR; cousins across the country and dear friends and Alpha Phi sisters around the world.
Danielle was born in 1994 and grew up in Chappaqua, NY where she graduated Horace Greeley High School in 2012. In 2016, she graduated from the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts at Washington University in St. Louis, with a double major in painting and art history. Carrying the school flag as a Grand Marshal during commencement was one of the highlights of her life.
A gifted artist, Danielle was the recipient of the Jeffrey Frank Wacks Scholarship for Fine Arts, the Mary Cowan Harford Award in Watercolor, and the Scholastic National Silver Medal for Painting. In addition to her commissioned paintings – including one for Hillary Rodham Clinton – she worked for several art institutions, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Saint Louis Art Museum, and Matthew Marks Gallery. During her remission, Danielle worked as a Graphic Designer for Makovsky Public Relations and as a Dreamweaver at Eleven Madison Park.
Two charitable organizations added joy and meaning to the last years of Danielle’s life. First Descents empowered her to push herself beyond her diagnosis by “out living it” through outdoor adventures like ice climbing. SOUL RYEDERS taught her to accept the kindness and resources offered by incredible volunteers who support neighbors with cancer. In 2019, she introduced these two groups to one another, and they have collaborated since on programs to change the lives of other young adults battling cancer.
A funeral will be held Friday, August 6th at 11:00 a.m. at Temple Beth El in Chappaqua, NY.
In memory of Danielle, donations can be made to Danielle’s Dreams, via SOUL RYEDERS
