Sy Kravitz was born on December 10, 1924, in Brooklyn, New York. He was an American television news producer and former U.S. Army officer, best known as the father of musician Lenny Kravitz.
Who was Sy Kravitz?
Sy Kravitz, born Seymour Kravitz, spent decades working as a news producer and assignment editor at NBC. He built that career after years of military service, including combat duty in World War II and the Korean War.
Kravitz is remembered publicly in two connected ways. He was the longtime television executive who helped shape NBC’s news coverage, and he was the father of Grammy-winning rocker Lenny Kravitz.
He was also married for more than two decades to actress Roxie Roker, best known for her groundbreaking role on The Jeffersons. Kravitz died on October 29, 2005, at age 80, after being diagnosed with leukemia.
Early Life of Sy Kravitz
Sy Kravitz grew up in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Joseph Kravitz and Jean Kaufman Kravitz. His father worked in telecommunications, while his mother stayed home to raise the family.
He had a younger brother, Leonard M. Kravitz, who served alongside him in the military. Leonard was killed in action during the Korean War, and Sy later named his only son after him.
That loss shaped much of Sy Kravitz’s adult life. He carried his brother’s memory into his own military career and, later, into fatherhood.
Sy Kravitz Age
Sy Kravitz was 80 years old at the time of his death on October 29, 2005, having been born on December 10, 1924. His zodiac sign was Sagittarius.
He lived through World War II and the Korean War as a young man before building a decades-long broadcasting career. Kravitz spent his final years in New York City, where he had also spent much of his career at NBC.
Sy Kravitz Ethnicity and Nationality
Sy Kravitz was American, born and raised in Brooklyn. His family had Russian-Jewish roots, with his paternal grandparents having emigrated from Kyiv to the United States.
He grew up in a Ukrainian-Jewish household in New York during the 1920s and 1930s. That background later stood in contrast to his second marriage, since Roxie Roker came from an African American and Bahamian Christian family.
Sy Kravitz Education
Kravitz attended Beverly Hills High School before going on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree. He completed his degree in 1946, following his early military service.
His education gave him a foundation before he formally enlisted and built a career in broadcasting. That combination of military training and academic study later carried into his approach to newsroom leadership at NBC.
Sy Kravitz Career
Sy Kravitz began his professional life in the military rather than in television. He enlisted in the United States Army after finishing his schooling and served during both World War II and the Korean War.
Military Service
Kravitz served with the Army’s Green Berets and rose to the rank of sergeant. He served during the same period as his younger brother, Leonard, who lost his life in Korea while helping his platoon escape a Chinese attack.
That service left a lasting mark on Kravitz. Colleagues and family later described him as disciplined and exacting, traits that carried over directly into his television career.
Career at NBC
After leaving the military, Kravitz joined NBC and worked his way up through the network’s news division. He eventually became a respected producer and assignment editor, overseeing the visual and editorial elements of NBC newscasts.
It was at NBC’s headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza that Kravitz met Roxie Roker, who was then working an office job while pursuing acting roles. Their meeting led to a marriage that lasted more than two decades.
Later Recognition
Kravitz’s broadcasting career was largely built behind the scenes rather than in front of the camera. His single screen credit came in 2010, when he was featured posthumously in the documentary Sid Bernstein Presents.
That project offered a rare on-camera glimpse into the world of television news production Kravitz had worked in for years. It remains his only listed film or television credit outside his day-to-day work at NBC.
Sy Kravitz Wife
Sy Kravitz married twice. His first wife was Erika Kravitz, whom he married in 1948. The couple had two children, Laurie and Tedi, before divorcing in 1955.
Following his first divorce, Erika retained custody of their two children. Kravitz married for a second time in 1963, to actress Roxie Roker, whom he had met while both worked at NBC.
Kravitz and Roker divorced in 1985 after more than two decades of marriage. Roker later spoke about infidelity during the marriage as a central reason for their split.
Roxie Roker died in 1995 from breast cancer at age 66. Kravitz outlived her by a decade before his own death in 2005.
Sy Kravitz Children
Sy Kravitz had three children across his two marriages. His first marriage to Erika produced two children, Laurie and Tedi Kravitz, though little additional public information exists about them.
His second marriage, to Roxie Roker, produced his only son, Lenny Kravitz, born May 26, 1964, in New York City. Lenny went on to become a successful rock musician, releasing his debut album Let Love Rule in 1989.
The father-son relationship was strained for years. Lenny has described his father as a strict disciplinarian shaped by his military background, and he left home as a teenager after ongoing conflict.
Their relationship improved later in Sy’s life, particularly after his cancer diagnosis. Two days after his father’s death, Lenny Kravitz performed the song “Let Love Rule” at a concert in Connecticut as a tribute.
Sy Kravitz Net Worth
Sy Kravitz’s estimated net worth was $3 million at the time of his death. His income came primarily from his decades-long career as a television news producer at NBC.
He built that financial standing gradually through steady employment in broadcast journalism rather than through a single high-profile project. Kravitz kept his personal finances largely private throughout his life.
Sy Kravitz Death and Cause
Sy Kravitz died on October 29, 2005, in a New York City hospital. He had been diagnosed with leukemia, a disease that ultimately caused his death at age 80.
The exact timing of his diagnosis was not made public. His son, Lenny, has spoken about the final months of his father’s illness as a period of reconciliation between them.
The Bottom Line
Sy Kravitz spent decades as a news producer and assignment editor at NBC, work that stayed largely behind the camera. His only screen credit came posthumously, in the 2010 documentary Sid Bernstein Presents.
Kravitz served in the U.S. Army as a Green Beret during World War II and the Korean War before starting his television career. He later married actress Roxie Roker, whom he met while both worked at NBC’s 30 Rockefeller Plaza offices.
Kravitz is the father of musician Lenny Kravitz, who paid tribute to him in concert just two days after his death in 2005. We hope you enjoyed reading about Sy Kravitz. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!