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How did Carl Levin die? Michigan's longest-serving senator passes away at 87

Rep Elissa Slotkin said, 'Carl Levin led an amazing life, and set the gold standard for hard-working, decent Midwestern leadership'

Liberal Democrat, Carl Levin, who came from a prominent Detroit family to become Michigan’s longest-serving senator and helped set military advantages and investigate corporate behavior for decades before retiring in 2015, died on Wednesday, July 28. Levin was 87-years-old.

The Levin Center at Wayne State University released a statement on Wednesday, July 28, saying, "With great sadness and heavy hearts, the Levin Family and Levin Center at Wayne Law announce the passing of Senator Carl Levin – a dearly beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, and life-long public servant."

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Born Carl Milton Levin in Detroit in 1934, the lifetime Democrat worked on the Detroit City Council from 1968 to 1977. In 1978, he took one of Michigan's two Senate chairs from Republican Sen. Robert Griffin. He first got elected to the Senate in 1978 and represented Michigan longer than any other senator, targeting tax shelters, raising manufacturing jobs and promoting for military funding. His tenure was a testament to voters' approval of the slightly rumpled, down-to-earth Detroit native whom Time magazine ranked among the nation's 10 best senators in 2006. When Levin was 83, around four years ago, he disclosed in his published memoir, 'Getting to the Heart of the Matter: My 36 Years in the Senate', that he was diagnosed with lung cancer.

As soon as the news of his death made its way to social media, people started reacting to it. David Cicilline tweeted, "Sad to hear about the news of Carl Levin. My thoughts are with Carl’s family and my friends Sandy Levin and @Andy_Levin. May his memory be a blessing." While one person tweeted, "I am very sad to hear about the passing of Senator Carl Levin. The impacts of Senator Levin's years of public service were felt after he left the Senate and will continue to be felt for years to come. My thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Rep Elissa Slotkin tweeted, "Carl Levin led an amazing life, and set the gold standard for hard-working, decent Midwestern leadership. May his memory be a blessing. And may we all seek to live up to his example." While one remembered Levin, saying, "Among my cherished memories of growing up in Michigan was @SenCarlLevin. So kind, so human, we all felt we knew him. When he left for DC, it was as if an uncle had gotten elected. He served us very well. Along with John Lewis, Carl Levin was an influential moral compass for me."