Elaine Margaret Levine, the former co-owner of The Almanac who was the editor and publisher of a group of community weekly newspapers in the Bay Area during the ’60s and ’70s, died Nov. 17 of congestive heart failure. She was 91.
She died peacefully at her historic home in the Saratoga hills with family members nearby, according to her daughter Amy Levine.
Elaine was born on a Wisconsin dairy farm near Campbellsport to Elmer and Esther Schrank on February 3, 1929. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin at Madison where she majored in American Institutions. It was on the staff of the campus daily newspaper that she met her future husband, Morton Levine. They celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary in September.
The couple came west in 1953 intending to start a local community newspaper. They founded their first paper, The Milpitas Post, in 1954 with the help of her sister, Mae Schrank. Over the years, they owned additional newspapers throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties, including The Almanac (then known as The Country Almanac), Los Altos Town Crier, Cupertino Courier, Saratoga News, Los Gatos Times Observer, and five San Jose Sun neighborhood newspapers.
In her professional career, Elaine was at the vanguard for women newspaper executives, her family said. Her efforts at recruiting and training reporters brought a high level of professionalism to the coverage of local government and education, and the papers were honored with many awards for editorial content.
Richard Hine, the longtime Almanac managing editor who retired in 2018, credited Elaine for her guidance as he took over supervision of the “well-established and talented staff” in 1988, saying that without her, he wouldn’t have enjoyed some of the best years of his life doing what he loves.
“By buying The Almanac in 1980, Mort and Elaine sustained this reliable and conscientious source of local news and information,” he said. “In the mid-1980s, they greatly expanded The Almanac’s reach from Portola Valley and Woodside to Menlo Park and Atherton. They retained the experienced staff, which had deep roots in the community and covered the schools, town halls and all manner of community affairs for decades.”
The Levines sold The Almanac to Embarcadero Media in 1993.
“Elaine was a great writer, always sharp, witty and direct, and a leader with a deep commitment to quality journalism,” said Bill Johnson, Embarcadero Media’s CEO and publisher of The Almanac.
Elaine was an avid gardener and an active member in the California Native Plant Society, Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County, and Western Horticulture. When she and her husband restored the historic Fremont Older House in Saratoga, she supervised the restoration of the gardens. She also was a founding member of the Milpitas Historical Society. She and Mort traveled far and wide, enjoying museums, opera, and music festivals, and participated in 35 Elder Hostel trips both in the U.S. and abroad.
She is survived by her husband Mort Levine; daughters Deva Luna and partner Terra Lee of San Jose, Meg Levine and husband Jeff Hargreaves of Oakland, Kay and Ned Spencer of Conway, Mass., and Amy Levine of Forestville; six grandchildren, Anna Levine-Beard of San Jose, Casey Levine-Beard and husband John McShane of Brooklyn, New York; Peter Hargreaves and partner Ema Guerrero of San Leandro, Toby and Kori Hargreaves of Rio Linda, California, Maia Spencer-Bunch and Allyson Spencer-Bunch of Northampton, Massachusetts, and Nathan Koman and fiancé Jasmine Wingard of Petaluma; and great-grandchildren Mira Mae McShane and Orin Emrys Hargreaves.
In her final months, Elaine was well cared for by Victoria Kamsler and the Kaiser Hospital Hospice team, her family said.
Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the family is postponing a memorial service. The family prefers donations in her memory be made to the Master Gardeners of Santa Clara County or the Milpitas Historical Society c/o the Milpitas Library, 160 S. Main St. Milpitas, CA 95035.
Omakase World Market brings diverse array of dining options to South San Francisco campus June 16, 2026 12:42 pm