• Levin cremation sphere and pyramid
• Missy West       
• West Memorials

MBNA awarded West Memorials with the Design Award for the Cremation Monument category. Their Levin cremation sphere and pyramid is beautiful and eye-catching. Hear how the monument came together for Missy West below.

It is not often that memorialists and monument builders find new and innovative ways to help their clients, but the Levin cremation monument came to me in an effortless way.

   “Eternally overbooked and consequently in a position of power,” Mr. Levin was the most celebrated and in-demand hair colorists and stylist in NYC — and one of the most talkative.” His partner said that Ron believed pyramids were built to bring “pyramid power” to the sharpening of weapons (and razors), so that Egypt could continue to conquer and expand their empire and power. He was an unyielding abstract art collector.

Here is a little background on my inspiration for this idea. Over the years, we have cremated our dogs, and I designed the urns for their ashes. Our sweet Blu Konohana West was our best beloved blue heeler. Our children wanted a part of Blu’s ashes for remembrance. When they asked this, I remembered that, years ago, I went to an art gallery showing. At the showing, there was a presentation on the glass art of Michael Trimpol from Little Hot River Glass Studio. Along with his magnificent blown glass work, he specialized in creating solid glass memorial spheres with cremains. We ordered two small spheres that held Blu’s cremains from Michael. It is very meaningful for them to have a part of their friend in such a unique way.

The sphere on the Levin headstone holds a portion of Mr. Levin’s ashes. We wanted the glass artist to place as many of Mr. Levin’s favorite colors into the sphere. We had a list of nine colors, but we were asked to select three. Since this was the largest solid glass ball the glass blower had created, adding extra colors along with the cremation ashes would slow the process of making the perfectly round sphere. 

When I ordered the black granite monument, I asked for a marble sphere to be made so I could see how this would all fit together as a finished piece.  I sent a rubber band ball to help my carver understand how I wanted the sphere to sit inside the hole, and I gave directions to bevel the inside edge of the hole. The sphere is pinned and epoxied into the hole. 

Ronald Levin’s monument is in Woodlawn Cemetery in West Palm Beach, FL.