Shifra Stein

Shifra Stein, free-spirit, author, travel writer, artist, newspaper critic, media personality, wife, mother, sister, daughter and niece, ended her life's journey at Kansas City Hospice House after an extended battle with cancer. Shifra was born in Kansas City in 1940 and graduated from Southwest High School. She attended Texas Women's College in Denton, Texas, on a full scholarship before graduating from Kansas City University. She worked for a short time as a medical technologist in Kansas City and St. Louis before moving to Greenwich Village in New York in the 1960s, where she eventually took over the management of a medical laboratory. She was a songwriter and an accomplished musician on guitar, banjo and piano. After an extended independent trip to Europe, she returned to Kansas City, where she went to work at Hallmark Cards as a copy writer and then a writer of holiday and special-occasion books. From there she was appointed as the first woman to be hired by the Kansas City Star as the Arts & Entertainment Editor, writing reviews of area restaurants and concerts for several years. Her first book, The Edible City, was a compilation of her restaurant reviews, and she co-wrote several more cookbooks with other Kansas City authors including Karen Adler and Rich Davis. Shifra was the author of Kansas City DayTrips, a trademarked guide book about Kansas City and the surrounding area, and eventually expanded the DayTrips concept to several cities, including Phoenix, Milwaukee, Houston and others. The 15th Edition of Kansas City DayTrips will be released in July 2008. Shifra also wrote books about journaling and taught journaling and creativity workshops nationwide. Travel writing was a natural outgrowth of her experiences and she contributed travel articles to many national publications and appeared many times on Walt Bodine's radio show on KCUR-FM. She was an award-winning member of the prestigious travel writers' organization SATW. Eventually her interests turned toward art, and she learned and shared new techniques, lectured and taught art classes at the Kansas City Art Institute, as well as around the country in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. Her art is part of the permanent collection at Cancer Action in Overland Park, Kan., where she created workshops in creativity and healing. Of all her accomplishments, her proudest was her son, Jason Stein, whom she raised with her best friend and beloved husband, Bob Barrett of Kansas City, Kan. Her survivors are also Jason's wife Erica and two grandchildren, Max and Samantha, all of Boca Raton, Fla.; her sister and brother-in-law Judith and David Epstein of Overland Park, Kan.; uncle Marvin Hammer of New York, and any cousins and dear friends who helped her through her life. Shifra's parents were Mary and Martin G (Bud) Spitcaufsky and grandparents Isreal and Sarah Hammer and John and Mollie Spitcaufsky. Shifra was always finding new ways to share herself and her passions with - and for - others. Her humility, humanity and sense of humor defined her. Art has been a large part of her life, and it's certain that her life has been a work of art. There will be a private cremation, and online condolences may be expressed at Martsmemorialservices.com. Shifra's family is very grateful to the staffs of KU Medical Center and the Kansas City Hospice House. Contributions in lieu of flowers may be sent to the Kansas City Hospice House, Cancer Action, or a charity of one's choice.