Lee W. Shapiro

1938 - 2024

Lee W. Shapiro

June 16, 1938 - July 20, 2024

Bellingham, Washington - Lee W. Shapiro was born on June 16, 1938, and passed away on July 20, 2024, after a brief illness. Lee was born Carole Lee Williams in Youngwood, PA to Gladys Jean Sherman and Andrew Norris Williams, the oldest of 4 siblings. From an early age, she was a caretaker for her mother and younger siblings. In high school, she showed an aptitude for academics, and after graduating, she went to business school and became a secretary at Mellon Institute in Pittsburgh, where she met Barry (Bernard L.) Shapiro. She converted to Judaism, and they married in 1960, and had their daughters, Miriam and Catherine. From Pittsburgh, the family moved to Chicago, then a year in Palo Alto, before settling in College Station, TX where Barry was a professor at Texas A&M University.

After raising her daughters and caring for Barry's mother, Lee returned to academics and became a paralegal, practicing with a family law practice, in Bryan, TX. In 1983, she and Barry returned to Palo Alto, and she worked at a large law firm during the IPO craze. She then became the personal assistant for Paul Barron, until her retirement.

Lee became a grandmother (Nonna) in 2001, with the birth of Catherine's son Robert. In 2003, Lee and Barry moved to Bellingham, WA to be near Miriam and her family. She provided childcare for her granddaughters Julia and Samantha, and medical care for Barry until his death in 2011.

Lee was an elegant, funny, feisty woman Audrey Hepburn, Glen Miller, gloves and smart hats, heels and pearls. She loved single malt scotch, telling a story, singing silly songs, cigarettes, cats, books, oysters on the half shell, and her dear circle of friends at El Dorado. Woe to those who tried to talk to her before her coffee! She was an erudite member of both the Congregation Beth Israel book club and the El Dorado book club. In her later years, medical concerns robbed her of the things she most enjoyed driving, reading, and being independent. She was very fortunate in her last months to be attended by wonderful caregivers and Whatcom County Hospice and was able to stay in her own home until her passing, with her daughters and her cat at her side.

She is survived by Miriam Shapiro Schwartz (Greg) of Bellingham WA, and Catherine Shapiro of Cambridge, MA. Her grandchildren, Robert, Julia, and Samantha were the lights of her life. We will all continue to be inspired by and grateful for the fierce love, good advice, funny stories, and inherent elegance that she brought to our lives.

Memorials may be made to the Whatcom Literacy Council, Planned Parenthood, Congregation Beth Israel, Whatcom Humane Society, Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, or any organization that elevates the human condition.