Sir David Levene, the founder of the paint and wallpaper retailer bearing his name that grew into a nationwide chain, has died aged 91.

An admired businessman and philanthropist who was knighted in 2010 for his services to business and the community, gained his retail inspiration from an American businessman. Taking over the small paint and wallpaper store founded by his father Lewis and his uncle Mark in 1952. Within eight years he had expanded the product range to include hardware and gardening supplies and had also built a paint factory in South Auckland. In the 1980s he expanded the concept again to include homewares sourced from buyers dispatched abroad. 

Sir David built Levene’s into a chain of 52 stores and several supplier factories by the time he sold the company to Skellerup Group in 1994. Back then, a turnover of $150 million a year and a payroll of 1000 was sizable for a retail group. 

Unfortunately, Skellerup Group and its businesses were placed in receivership three years later. 

He described the company’s demise as “a terribly sad day for me” noting some of the staff had worked with him for 50 years. 

“We had marvellous people and it all went,” he said at the time, as quoted in an obituary published by the NZ Herald.

Aged 65 and flush with funds from the company’s sale, Sir David created a new investment group that included property development company Quadrant Properties in its portfolio.  

He also launched the David Levene Foundation, which supported several community groups, including Outward Bound, one of New Zealand’s leading and longest-running organisations that helps youth reach their full potential through outdoor challenges and adventure camps. 

He was a trust director and patron of Outward Bound, sponsored students and funded capital projects. 

“There is a lot of sadness amongst our whānau as we honour his legacy and reflect on how grateful we are for his support and belief in us all,” said Malindi MacLean, CEO of Outward Bound New Zealand. 

“Please take a moment to reflect on the life of this wonderful and generous man, his service to Outward Bound and Aotearoa.”

Another benefactor was now professional golfer Lydia Ko who he helped get onto the international circuit, no easy mission for a young woman from Down Under. 

Through his investment company – dubbed Lewis Holdings in honour of his late father – Sir David invested in startups in the fields of digital media, biotech and the environment. 

While one of New Zealanders’ favourite retail chains is no more, and its founder has now passed, the Levene name lives on. Home improvement chain Placemakers has revived the brand in a broad range of house paints bearing the brand name and the distinctive pale-blue brand colour remembered by many Kiwis through the 1980s and 90s.