In Memory of my sister, Alice Levisay

 

Alice Marie Levisay Obituary

Celebrating a Life of Compassion, Leadership, and Global Impact

With broken hearts, we share with you the passing of a beloved wife, mother, sister and aunt. On December 14, 2025 Alice Marie Levisay, 60, passed away in her home on Bainbridge Island, Washington due to cancer. She died peacefully, in the company of her devoted family. Born on July 14, 1965, in Berea, Ohio, Alice was the cherished daughter of Dale and Arline Levisay, by whom she is predeceased. She is survived by her husband of 33 years, Jan Willem Rosenboom, her daughter, Johanna (Hanna) Rosenboom, her son-in-law Dillon, and her loving brothers, Mark and Bill.

Raised in Murrysville, Pennsylvania, Alice excelled academically, graduating as Valedictorian from Franklin Regional High School. She continued her studies at Rice University, earning her Bachelor’s Degree in Biology. She was then awarded the prestigious Watson Fellowship, which she used to study traditional healthcare delivery systems in India, China, Egypt and Kenya. This experience was professionally as well as personally formative; she first met Jan Willem during her stay in Nairobi.

Following this fellowship, Alice began her early career in Sierra Leone, West-Africa. She worked on Lassa Fever Research and AIDS education efforts with the CDC. She found her calling to improve health care in underserved communities around the world, and continued her education at Johns Hopkins University, where she pursued a master’s degree in public health. Now married, Alice and Jan Willem moved to Cambodia in the early 90’s where Alice worked with the International Rescue Committee (IRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), in roles focusing on rebuilding and strengthening the nation's health systems. Two years following Hanna’s birth in 1998, Alice’s commitment to improving health systems led the family to Dhaka, Bangladesh, where she worked as the health specialist for HLSP Asia focusing on health sector reform and aid effectiveness. From Bangladesh Alice returned to Cambodia for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), where she would rise to the position of Country Representative. In 2010, Alice and family moved to the US, where Alice joined PATH in Seattle. A few years later she transitioned to working as an independent consultant so she could spend more time with Hanna and focus on her role as a community member. 

Alice loved her life on the island, volunteering for the salmon monitoring program, singing in various choirs and developing a community of friends. The family home welcomed guests from around the world, sharing the beauty of the Puget Sound and the Pacific Northwest. Having to give up singing, first during COVID, and later when the cancer she had been living with (and trying to subdue) since 2020 reached her lungs, was a huge disappointment to her. In her final professional role, Alice served at the Gates Foundation, leading efforts with the Global Health Agencies and Funds (GHAF) strategy, joining a team she deeply enjoyed working with.

Alice’s remarkable journey touched communities across the globe—from Vanuatu, Lao PDR and Tonga, to India, Bangladesh, Sierra Leone, Cambodia, and Bainbridge Island, among many others. Her legacy is defined by her intelligence, strength of character, unwavering willpower, and infectious laugh. Though her life was cut short by illness, the impact she made and the memories she created will be treasured by all who had the privilege to know her. Alice’s absence will be deeply felt, but her spirit will live on in the lives she changed and the love she shared.

A celebration of Alice’s life will be held later in January (and will be accessible remotely).

Jan Willem and Hanna would like to thank the medical teams at Virginia Mason Hospital in Seattle, and the nurses, social worker, nursing aids and others at Multicare Hospice, who cared for Alice with expertise, kindness and compassion.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to USA for UNFPA, providing care to women and girls in underserved communities, or Helpline House, providing food assistance and social services to those in need on Bainbridge Island.