STEPHANIE SHAFIR

SHAFIR--Stephanie Rae. On Sunday night, February 26th, 2023, our beautiful Stephanie Rae Shafir lost her life-long battle with Cystic Fibrosis. She was born on February 28th, 1994, in Hackensack, NJ, to Robert and Donna Shafir, the youngest of three children. Stephanie was a talented actress whose passion began in early childhood, starring in homemade monster movies with her siblings. She honed her craft throughout her formative years at the Professional Children's School and went on to graduate from the NYU Tisch School of the Arts in 2016 with double majors in Theater and Physics. Despite the weight of her debilitating illness, Stephanie performed in Hollywood films, television, and off-broadway plays. She also contributed to cultural magazines and volunteered at clothing drives for the homeless, as well as a shelter for bunny rabbits in need. Stephanie was a bright soul with a vivacious personality that stood in stark contrast to a dark sense of humor and love of all things spooky. She was deeply compassionate to animals, especially the creepy crawly ones -- with a particular affinity for lizards. Arguably her greatest gift was an ability to always find beauty in the imperfect. She often said, "Everyone loves butterflies, but moths are just as pretty, and no one acknowledges them." This empathy extended to humans as well -- she only saw the best in everyone she met. If you weren't surrounded by loved ones, she loved you extra. If the situation seemed bleak, she found a way to make you laugh through the pain. The colossal weight of Cystic Fibrosis is enough to hold down the strongest of us, but Stephanie had a habit of moving any mountain that stood in her way with a relentless will to live. Stephanie is survived by her parents, Donna and Robert Shafir, and her sister and brother, Allison and Nicholas, as well as their respective spouses, Henning and Margaret. We adore her beyond words, we miss her beyond belief, and her legacy will live on through us.