Samuel Shmuel Litov

We mourn the passing of Dr. Samuel Shmuel Litov z"l, who died in the early morning hours of Wednesday July 9, 2014 (11 Tammuz, 5774) in Tarpon Springs, Florida. It was his 83rd birthday and he was home with his family. He was buried at the Gan Yavne Cemetery in Israel on Sunday, July 13th. Dr. Litov z"l was born in Israel (Palestine). His family has roots in Israel, in the ancient city of Tzfat, dating back to the 1800's. He was also a decedent of the great Rebbe of Gostinin, who was also known as the "Tehillim Bucher". He would often be found reading from the book of Psalms, which he had near him at all times. Dr. Litov carried on the traditions of his family and was a lifelong teacher and educator and made an impact on the lives of many students and scholars throughout his life. He was a husband, father, grandfather, uncle, scholar, professor, principal and tutor, but most of all a teacher. Dr. Litov arrived in the US in 1952 and moved to Philadelphia, where he studied at Drexel, Dropsie and Temple Universities and met his wife. He moved his family, in 1969, to Baltimore where he lived for the next 40 years, and received his doctorate of philosophy from St. Joseph's Seminary. 30 of those years were spent affiliated with the Baltimore Hebrew College which later became the Baltimore Hebrew University. He also taught at Goucher College, Towson State and UMBC in addition to serving as principal of the Baltimore Hebrew High School for many years. He will be remembered by many as having served as their guide and "madrich" in the 25 years he lead the BHC Summer Tour. It was on those summer trips he earned the nickname "cool Shmul", a title that remains a fond memory in the hearts of the hundreds of kids in whose lives he made a difference. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marcia (Marcy) and their children Edward (Tzachi) and his wife Lara and their boys Noah and Aviv; Ari and his wife Miri and their boys Etai, Omri and Nitsan; and Dov (Dubi) and his wife Jami and their children Jake, Lexi, Seth and Kobe. The family requests donations made honoring Dr. Litov z"l be made to the educational institution of your choice. David C. Gross Funeral Homes, Belcher Road Chapel in Clearwater is serving the family. Service Information