Steven Ancil Livesey

Steven Ancil Livesey was born on August 31, 1943 in Taft, California, son of Ancil A. Livesey and Bette (Batchelder) Livesey. He grew up in Decatur, Illinois and attended Riverside School, Johns Hill Junior High School, Woodrow Wilson Junior High School and graduated from MacArthur High School in 1961. At MacArthur High School, he played clarinet in the concert band and especially developed an appreciation for learning foreign languages. His French teacher, Ms. Larimore, had also taught French to Steve’s father, Ancil (Bud) Livesey at Roosevelt Jr. High and Stephen Decatur High School. Ancil had been one of her best students too. During his college years at Millikin University, Steve worked part-time as an assistant in the pathology lab at Decatur Memorial Hospital as well as Biology and Chemistry lab instructor in the science department at Millikin. He received his B.A. at Millikin in 1965 with a major in Biology. His love for foreign languages prompted him to change course and focus on German beginning in 1966 at Indiana University – Bloomington where he received his M.A. in German in 1967. From 1967-68, he studied at the University of Hamburg, Germany under a Fulbright Scholarship. From 1967 – 1972, he served in the U.S. Army as an interrogator-linguist in Arabic, having learned Arabic-Egyptian at the Defense Language Institute at the Presidio of Monterey, California. After being honorable discharged from the Army, he did post-graduate work in German at the University of Illinois – Urbana and taught Biology, English and German at different Chicago high schools. He worked as a language instructor and instructor supervisor at Berlitz International Language School in Chicago from 1985 – 2013. After retiring in 2013, he continued to travel to Europe periodically with his partner Len Achtenberg and supported the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra. Since 2017, he has been Book Club Chairman of the German Language Society of Chicago. He always loved classical music, especially that of the 19th Century Romantic era.

Steven is survived by his partner of 45 years, Len Achtenberg, his sister Linda Parker, nephew Charles Parker, nieces Kristen Clark (Sean), Tracey Parker, Dawn Bardygula (the late Paul), Beth Fournier (Mike) and Lori Niforatos (Dan) and many cousins, great-nieces and nephews.

A Gathering to Celebrate Steven’s life will be held on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. until time of Memorial Service at 11:00 a.m. at Colonial Chapel, 15525 S. 73rd Ave. (155th/Wheeler Dr. & Harlem) Orland Park, IL. Burial private at a later date at Mount Greenwood Cemetery, Chicago, IL.

Express your thoughts and condolences at colonialchapel.com 708-532-5400