Robert Levine, honorably discharged from the service, quickly married Miriam Abramowitz on Aug. 23, 1945. They knew each other growing up in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn and made their home there, at 2136 East 19 St., Apt 2. They had a daughter, Joan, in March 1947. Robert operated fabric machines for a manufacturer.
In 1952 they moved to 69-35A 186 Lane in Fresh Meadows. Son Charles was born on Oct. 18, 1952. The family next took advantage of the Servicemen Readjustment Act of 1944, the GI Bill, to buy a home, moving to 28 Phipps Lane in Plainview, LI, in 1957.
Robert made a career change and opened up a luncheonette and stationery store. He and Charles worked long, hard hours.
After graduating high school, Charles went to the State University New York at Potsdam. He later said he “majored in rock ’n’ roll and pot and minored in LSD.” He left after two years to tour the country as a guitarist and songwriter.
At age 26, with the advice and encouragement of his first wife, he abandoned his last name, which evoked bad childhood memories, becoming Chuck Lorre. His father had died in March 1976 at age 57 and never knew of the name change.
In the 1980s, Lorre started writing for TV. He created the sitcom “Grace Under Fire” in 1993. After creating his fifth show, “Two and a Half Men,” Lorre was named the “King of Sitcoms.” His next one was the beloved generational comedy “The Big Bang Theory.”
With his creative, obsessive nature, we look forward to more great things to come from Lorre.