Pamela B. Levinson, 54, firm owner, musician

Pamela Babett Levinson, 54 - a company owner, attorney, novelist and Curtis-trained musician - died unexpectedly Thursday at her home in Villanova.

The cause of death is pending the results of an autopsy.

For the last 12 years, Mrs. Levinson and her husband, Steven M. Levinson, owned and operated Amglo Inc., a importer and wholesaler of seasonal merchandise in Philadelphia. He was company president, and she was controller.

Before that Mrs. Levinson had been an attorney for ICI Americas in Wilmington and for the law firm of Saul Ewing in Philadelphia.

She also had been principal flautist with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra.

A native of Wilmington, Del., she received a bachelor's degree in biology and music in three years from the University of Virginia. A flautist and piccolo player, Mrs. Levinson then earned a bachelor's degree from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia and was awarded a scholarship for a semester's study at Universitat Mozarteum Salzburg in Austria.

For six years, Mrs. Levinson was a professional musician, playing with the Delaware Symphony Orchestra and teaching at the Settlement Music School and the Wilmington Music School, before switching to a law career. "She was very bright and decided she wanted to try something different," her sister said.

After graduating from Widener University School of Law, magna cum laude in 1985, Mrs. Levinson was a clerk for Judge John J. Hannum, Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia.

Mrs. Levinson had served on the boards of the Pennsylvania Ballet, the Philadelphia Opera Company, Settlement Music School and Manna and several other boards. In 2006 she served on the finance committee for the U.S. senatorial campaign of Bob Casey Jr. and in 2008 she served on the finance committee for Rob McCord's campaign for Pennsylvania treasurer.

Recently, Mrs. Levinson completed her first novel, It's Only Words, about a young girl's spiritual quest. It is unpublished.

In addition to her husband of 23 years, Mrs. Levinson is survived by a son, Steven Jr.; stepchildren Brian Levinson and Melissa Leonard; sisters Christine Bradley and Mary Louise Tomasetti; and three grandchildren.

A funeral will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Joseph Levine & Sons, 4737 Street Rd., Trevose. Burial will be in Roosevelt Memorial Park, Trevose.