Ruth Gordon Shapiro

SHAPIRORuth Gordon Shapiro- Of Palm Beach, Florida, formerly of Boston, MA died peacefully on Sunday, October 14, 2012, at 95, surrounded by her devoted husband and loving family. Born in Chelsea on April 3, 1917 to Dorothy and George Gordon and raised there, Mrs. Shapiro was a 1937 graduate of Wellesley College where she majored in music, a gift she nurtured and embraced her entire life. Mrs. Shapiro’s passions wove together into a tapestry of devotion to giving to underserved communities and programs, and to helping those in need. She and her husband, Carl Shapiro, were a partnership in the truest sense. Dedicated to family and to each other they shared a commitment to philanthropy and supported many of the major cultural, medical and educational institutions in Boston and Palm Beach County, FL. Courageous in the face of long-standing medical challenges, elegant, smart and caring Mrs. Shapiro provided the quiet strength that held her close knit family together. She also inspired her children and grandchildren to support efforts in the areas she held dear: art, music and education. She led by example through the years; as a talented pianist, she volunteered her time to teach underprivileged children at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She leaves her beloved husband of 73 years, Carl Shapiro, her daughters Rhonda Zinner (Michael), Ellen Jaffe (Robert) and Linda Waintrup (Daniel), her grandchildren Jennifer Herman (Mark), Jonathan Segal, Steven (Jenna), Michael and Andrew (Allyson) Jaffe, Samantha and Kimberly Strauss, six great grandchildren and her brother Roger Gordon (Naomi). She was predeceased by her sister Audrey Rosenberg (Alan). The organizations that Mr. and Mrs. Shapiro have supported include Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Palm Beach Opera, the Norton Museum of Art and the Kravis Center also in Palm Beach, Wellesley College and Brandeis University to which they made their first contribution in 1950 of $10_all they could afford at the time. “The kitchen table in our home became the family foundation’s board room,” said daughter, Ronny Zinner, “that’s where my parents decided how and where they could make the greatest impact on the lives of others. My sisters and I were blessed to be raised by a father and mother whose values taught us the importance of doing all you can to try and make a difference.” In addition, Mrs. Shapiro and her husband were committed to ameliorating the lives of the disabled and underserved in the Boston area. To that end they funded many community based non-profits devoted to improving the lives and future possibilities for those most in need. In lieu of flowers donations would be most appreciated to the Ruth Gordon Shapiro Museum Directorship Fund, Office of Development, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481; Boston Symphony Orchestra, c/o Development Office, 301 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA 02115; Joslin Diabetes Center, c/oMartin Abrahamson Fund, Development Office, One Joslin Place, Boston, MA 02115, or Museum of Fine Arts, c/o Development Office, 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115. Services at Temple Israel, 477 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA (Parking on the Riverway) on Tuesday, October 16, 2012, at 12 noon. Following interment at Newton Cemetery, Newton, MA, a memorial Observance will be at the home of Linda and Daniel Waintrup until 8 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday2-5,7-9p.m