Helen N. Shapiro

Helen Naomi Shapiro passed away peacefully from natural causes on November 29, 2022, in San Diego, California, with her daughter Naomi by her side. She was 96 years old.

Helen was born in New York, New York on June 4, 1926, to Esther and Abraham Greenberg, and had one younger brother, Jack. She was raised in Wooster, Massachusetts, but spent much of her childhood in Miami Beach, Florida where her father's family owned the Bancroft Hotel, and where her brother and his family ultimately called home. Helen attended the University of Michigan, obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. She was an avid reader, especially historical fiction novels or non-fiction autobiographies. She met Allan Shapiro in the university library, where she worked as a librarian, and they were married in 1948.

Moving to Los Angeles, California, after the birth of their first child, Carol, they went on to have 2 more children, Marla, and Naomi. Together, with their 3 daughters, they traveled extensively as a family all around the US and Canada, including the Alcan Highway in Alaska in a Winnebago back in the day when the road was a two-lane washboard dirt road. Helen was an adventurer with a love for travel that had her planning extensive vacations to National and State Parks, National Monuments, and reconnecting with family on the East Coast. Along with her husband, she introduced her family to backpacking and was a strong advocate for the preservation of wilderness, wildlife, and environmental causes her entire life. Her daughters continue this legacy.

Helen was a stay-at-home mother until her youngest daughter entered grade school. She then started her career as a legal secretary working initially for her husband Allan's patent firm before moving on to Spensley Horn Jubas and Lubitz, a larger patent law firm on Wilshire Blvd. in Los Angeles. She retired from that firm in 1993 to move to San Diego to be closer to family, where she resided until her recent passing.

Helen inherited her love and skill for tennis from her father Abraham and played the game until she was 84 years old. She passed her love of tennis to her grandson Adam using her garage as a backboard when he was young, rallying with each other in the cul-de-sac as his skills grew and watched as a proud Grandma while he continued to play through his high school years.

Helen was an exceptional talent with the art of needlepoint. You could often find her watching her favorite programs on KPBS while simultaneously creating the masterpiece that would take her hours to complete. She did not limit the gift giving of her artistic pieces to her immediate family, and there were many, but would also gift for special occasions to a broader network of loved ones who deemed themselves lucky to own a Helen original.

Helen was blessed to find love a second time in life and married Matthew Smith Van-Keuren on December 21, 2003, and had 8 wonderful, wedded years together in San Diego.

Helen is predeceased by her parents Esther and Abraham, her brother Jack Greenberg, her ex-husband Allan Shapiro, and her husband Matthew Van-Keuren. She is survived by her three daughters, Carol Shapiro, Marla Knight (Steve), and Naomi Lohnes (Jim); two grandchildren Rachel and Adam; and nieces and cousins.

Donations in Helen's memory can be made to The Nature Conservancy, www.nature.org; or the Jewish National Fund, www.jnf.org. Both of these organizations were near and dear to Helen's heart. She was a passionate philanthropist in her life for the betterment of our planet earth and all its inhabitants.