Dr. Elizabeth Kanof Levine
May 9, 1935-February 9, 2026
WCMS mourns Dr. Elizabeth Pascher Kanof Levine, an extraordinary physician, leader, generous philanthropist, and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother who has passed away after a prolonged illness.
Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she was known to friends, family, and colleagues simply as Liz. She dedicated her life to medicine, leadership, and the arts. A pioneer at a time when few women entered the medical profession, she combined exceptional clinical skill with steadfast advocacy for patients, physicians, and the cultural institutions that strengthened her community.
Dr. Kanof trained and practiced at the highest levels of her profession. In the early 1960s, she completed her dermatology residency at Duke University Medical Center after attending medical school at New York University and obtaining an undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke College. In Raleigh, she build one of the largest dermatology practices in North Carolina, combining clinical care with mentorship and a steady encouragement of women's participation and leadership within the profession.
Her impact on organized medicine was significant and far-reaching. Dr. Kanof served as president of the North Carolina Medical Society, where she championed physician leadership, professional standards, and medical education. She also served as president of the North Carolina Medical Board, guiding the state's physician licensing and regulatory body through complex decisions involving ethics, accountability, and physician health. She was president of Wake County Medical Society in 1983.
Dr. Kanof's commitment to cultural life was deeply personal. The Judaic Art Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Art was founded through the vision and dedication of her parents, Drs. Abram Kanof and Frances Pascher Kanof, who established a permanent home for Jewish ceremonial and cultural art within a major state museum-one of only two such permanent galleries in the United States. After her father's death in 1999, Dr. Liz became a devoted steward of both the collection and its mission, ensuring that Jewish history, artistry, and tradition remained a visible and valued part of the broader cultural landscape.
Her love of the natural world was another defining part of her life. She and her husband shared a lifelong passion for backpacking, having hiked much of the Appalachian Trail while exploring landscapes around the world in between. Protecting the places they cherished mattered deeply to them.
Dr. Kanof is survived by her beloved husband of nearly seventy years, Dr. Ron Levine, a distinguished public health leader in his own right; her sister, Margaret Norden; her two children, Rabbi Mitch Levine (Alison) and Becky Levine; her four cherished grandchildren, Ilan Levine (Tani), Keshet Levine, Kaelah Wilson, and Aliza Wilson; and her great-granddaughter, Liora Rose Levine.
Liz's legacy lives on through her children and grandchildren, setting a powerful example of what it means to be strong, independent, morally grounded, and self-reliant. Her life stands as a model of intellect, service, and generosity-values she consistently upheld in both her public work and her private life.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests honoring Liz's memory through support of the Judaic Art Gallery at the North Carolina Museum of Art or the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
