Tributes Flood in for Carl Levin After Former Senator Dies at 87: 'Champion for Michigan' On 7/30/21 at 3:55 AM EDT Tributes have poured in for former Senator Carl Levin following his death on Thursday at the age of 87. The Democrat was the longest-serving U.S. senator in the history of Michigan. Carl Levin's passing was announced on Thursday evening by family spokesperson Jim Townsend, director of the Levin Center at Wayne State University Law School. Many of those who knew him quickly took to social media to mourn him and praise the senator's work and personality. He served 36 years in the Senate from 1979 until his retirement in 2015. He was also a longtime member of the Armed Services Committee, serving as the ranking member when Democrats were in the minority and as chair when they were the majority party.