1951 - 2009

It is with great sadness that Target + Response Inc. announces the passing of our founder and dear friend, Laurence Levis, after a courageous 16-month battle with cancer. Larry passed away peacefully at home on April 21, 2009, surrounded by his beloved family. He will be sorely missed by his friends and colleagues in the industry.

Larry’s roots were as a skilled salesman and sales manager in the radio industry. He worked his entire career in Chicago, but he loved to build relationships nationally with a variety of marketers, broadcasters and other highly targeted media – media that were not historically viable to direct response advertisers.

Larry founded Target + Response in 1987, and applied a fresh approach to an old concept called Per-Inquiry (P.I.) advertising. With integrity and fairness to both media and advertisers, he created a platform that generated a new form of non-traditional advertising for the media, and a cost effective channel of sales leads for quality direct marketers.

From the very start, Larry established a legacy and culture that influenced and enriched the careers and lives of many people, and the success of many clients and businesses. During his illness, Larry released himself from management duties of the business, but was comforted to know that Target + Response is well positioned for the future.

Moving forward we will maintain the tenets that Larry fostered for the past 21 years.

It’s been a privilege working with Larry for all these years, and he will be missed very much. He is survived by his wife Debra, his four children and many family members.

Donations may be made to either:
The American Brain Tumor Association, 2720 River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018, or
Alternatives, Inc., Attn: Judy Gall, 4730 North Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60640.