Levi Isauro Duran was born on July 23, 1940 on Duran St. in Santa Fe, New Mexico to Ernesto Duran and Flora Ortega de Duran who preceded him death.  Levi came from a big family from Embudo and Dixon, New Mexico. Of his siblings, three brothers, Ernest (Sonny), Daniel, Orlando (Red), and one sister, Orlinda or Frances Faini of Seattle Washington preceded him in death.

His family moved to Alameda, Albuquerque's north valley in 1952. He attended Garfield Junior High and Valley High School. He left for Los Angeles, California after graduation and enlisted in the Army. He returned to Albuquerque and married Victoria Vigil and had two sons, Brian and Max.  After some years he moved to California where he married Loretta Sekot and had two children while living in Sacramento, California,  Danielle and Levi Javier.

Like many New Mexicans, his family returned to Albuquerque, where they made their home. Here he worked at UNM, APS and the Department of Corrections, State of New Mexico. Levi enjoyed ongoing active engagement in Local, State, and Federal politics.

Levi honorably served his country for nine years in the US Army, some of those years spent in Special Forces, in Europe, Central America and Southeast Asia. After serving in the Army, he attended the University of California, Berkeley where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Ethno History and completed a doctoral program (ABD) in Anthropology; he continued his higher education at Washington State University, Pullman, where he earned a Master of Arts in Anthropology and PhD in Educational Administration and Curriculum and Instruction. In the fall of 1970, he founded the Chicano Studies Program at WSU, Pullman. Levi taught and administered in higher education and k-12 public schools for the greater part of his life, including service as Superintendent of Questa School District, Questa, New Mexico. He also served his community as a Summer School Principal, Middle School teacher as well as a High School teacher at Manzano in the Albuquerque Public Schools. His true passion was ensuring equity in higher education and worked hard throughout his life taking action to support this. Levi was director of Teacher Corps at UNM and initiated higher education programs for Raza students in Washington, California, and New Mexico.

Levi also spent a good part of his life advocating for services for many populations across New Mexico, California, and Washington State. He worked to ensure education and health care for farm workers' families in Washington State and California. He was President and CEO of El Paisano Inc., a 501, c3 nonprofit working with underserved populations in Central New Mexico. In 2003, he launched the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center under El Paisano to provide services and support to homeless veterans.

Levi had friends all over the country; Robert Alvarez and Steve Arvizu of California, Ronson Duran, Roy Sanchez, Chris Vigil, Ernesto Vera and co-worker friend Juliette Craig are among many of his good friends in Albuquerque.

He leaves behind his endearing wife of 43 years Anna Loretta Sekot-Duran; his daughter, Danielle Duran of San Anselmo, California, and sons, Levi Javier Duran, Brian and Max Duran of Albuquerque. He truly loved his grandchildren, Elena Duran Barry, Danny and Dahlia Duran, Liandro and his beloved, Levi A. Duran; four sisters, Georgia Castillo of Albuquerque, Norma Duran of Phoenix, Vivian Jungbauer of Pullman and Isabel Tapia of Alameda, NM.; as well as many other family members and friends who loved and will miss him greatly.

Funeral Services and mass will be held at Nativity of Our Blessed Virgin Mary in Alameda on Thursday, February 23, 2023 at 9:00 am following a rosary at 8:00 am.

The interment will take place at the Santa Fe National Cemetery on Friday, February 24, 2023 at 10:30 am with US Army Honors.