NASHVILLE
Ian D. Levett died January 5, 2024, at his Nashville home. He was 75 years old.
Ian was born August 29, 1948, in London, England, where he went to public school,
worked security jobs and lived a relatively quiet life until he went to his
neighborhood pub in Croydon one night and met Brown Countian Suzannah Zody who
had moved to London from Chicago.
When Suzannah wanted to return home in 2003 after 21 years away, they were
married and Ian came with her. Although he had lived over 50 years in metropolitan
London, and briefly as a child in metropolitan Toronto, Ian quickly adjusted to
Nashville’s lifestyle and Suzannah’s family traditions.
For the first time in his life, he had pets: cats too numerous to name, and two
beloved dogs, first Holly and then Friday. Also for the first time, he got a Christmas
stocking, including less than two weeks before he died, although he was a senior
citizen by then. The stockings always contained his English favorites, licorice and
spotted dick, to remind him of home. Every year Suzannah’s family added the English
Christmas staple Brussel sprouts to their Christmas menu.
Ian and Suzannah became rabid Indianapolis Colts fans, occasionally attending in
person, but usually watching on TV with themselves and their dog dressed in full
Colts regalia.
Ian was the fried chicken man at Columbus Jaycee, worked security at Menard’s in
Columbus, ran his own shop on Old School Way in Nashville and owned a vacation
rental with his wife on Owl Creek Road. He also worked in the refreshment stand
and did odd jobs at the Brown County Playhouse where his wife was executive
director for several years until her death in 2019.
After Suzannah’s death, with assistance from his friend Geoff Thompson, another
Brown Countian transplanted from England, Ian became an American citizen. At the
ceremony, Ian was the oldest of the 98 new citizens so his name appeared in the
program and he was given an American flag that had flown over the United States
Capitol Building. Ian was proud of his new citizenship and thrilled to vote, especially
in the presidential election.
Ian found replacements for his English neighborhood pub at the Brown County Inn
and Hotel Nashville where he developed a new set of friends. He is survived by his
friends and Suzannah’s family, notably her sister, Sallianne Zody, who assisted Ian
with life’s demands after Suzannah’s death.
There will be no services. lan’s cremains will be buried next to Suzannah’s in
Greenlawn Cemetery.
Memorial contributions may be sent to the Brown County Playhouse, P.O. Box 2011,
Nashville, IN 47448.
