Carl Levin was a member of the United States Senate from Michigan. In fact, he held a Senate seat longer than any other from the state in its history thus far.

Earlier this year, a memoir written by Levin was published. Around the same time that his memoir came out, Levin announced that he had lung cancer. And four months later, he would pass away.

Died on July 29, 2021

Carl Levin passed away at the Henry Ford Hospital. The apparent cause of his death was the case of lung cancer, which he'd apparently been battling for about three years. Levin's death came three days after the passing of one of his longtime colleagues.

That being former Republican U.S. Senator Mike Enzi of Wyoming.

The Levin Center at Wayne State University put out a statement late Thursday, saying, "With great sadness and heavy hearts, the (center and family) announce the passing of Senator Carl Levin."

Levin received a degree in political science from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. While a student there, he worked on an auto factor assembly line and as a taxi driver. Later, he also graduated from Harvard Law School. Afterward, he joined a private law practice. Additionally, he began teaching at Wayne State University and the University of Detroit Mercy. Eventually, he joined the public sector at both a state and city level.

In 1969, Levin was first elected to the Detroit City Council.

Eventually, he rose to become its president. During and after his time with the city council, he also worked with other private law firms.

A Democrat, Levin first won a U.S. Senate seat in 1978. The race was a particularly notable one. In the general election, Levin toppled incumbent Robert P. Griffin, who was the Senate minority whip at the time.

Levin would win re-election to the Senate five times. He became particularly recognizable for almost constantly wearing his reading glasses perched at the end of his nose.

Twice, Carl Levin became the chairman of the Senate Armed Service Committee. He would also chair two subcommittees of what is now the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

In 2014, Levin did not run for re-election. Democratic U.S. Representative Gary Peters won the race to succeed him in the Senate.

Levin and his wife, the former Barbara Halpern, got married in 1961. They would have three daughters, as noted by CNN and Politico. Also, this year, the U.S. Navy launched a destroyer named after him, the USS Carl M. Levin.

Was a member of a prominent political family

Carl Levin was one of, if not the most high-profile members of Michigan's Levin political family. His brother, Sander, was a longtime member of the United States House of Representatives. For a brief time, he chaired the House Ways and Means Committee. Sander's son, Andy, is currently a member of the U.S.

House of Representatives.

Other members of the family include Theodore and Charles Levin. Theodore was Carl and Sander's uncle. He would go on to be chief judge of the U.S. District Court for Michigan's Eastern District. His son, Charles, would eventually become a justice of the Michigan Supreme Court.