Susan F. Shapiro

                                         August 5, 1941-October 18, 2024

Susan Lois Fuchs Shapiro: beloved mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, great aunt, cousin, concert goer, volunteer, culture devotee, adventure seeker, and friend to everyone who was fortunate enough to cross her path.

Sue was foremost a dedicated and extraordinary mother and grandmother who made her family’s life magical. She was quirky, fun, beautiful, brilliant, dedicated, well-traveled, well-read, generous, loving and adventurous.  She was dedicated to political causes, diabetes research and equal rights.   She loved rock concerts, reading, theater, traveling exotically, philanthropy, singing, entertaining, volunteering and so much more.  Her circle of loved ones included her family, childhood friends, school coworker friends, her daughters’ friends and their children, her book club, her Scrabble group, card-playing friends and so many with whom she met in random circumstances.  Her friends were her family, and her family were her friends. 

Sue was born in Chicago, but spent most of her life in Southern California, which she called home. She received her BA degree from the prestigious University of Chicago and her master's degree in education from Pepperdine University (while raising her three girls as a single mother and working).  She was a teacher for LAUSD for over 25 years, retiring from Montara Avenue Elementary School young enough to enjoy the many unique adventures she created for herself and her family.  Her legacy continues with her girls and grandsons, including her love of the arts, music, reading, learning, giving back to the community, political activism, and most important, traveling or just being together as a family.

She is survived by her children; Cindy Shapiro, Arlene Shapiro (Will Hair), Melissa Kaplan (Randy); her prized and amazing grandsons, Ryan and Mason Kaplan; her sisters, Betsy Fuchs and Judith Jacobson (Robert), nephew Adam Jacobson (Jing), cousins by blood and by marriage, and everyone else she touched along the way.   She was predeceased by her parents, Rose and Leonard Fuchs and her son-in-law, Alexx Van Dyne.

This world is so much less magical without our Sue, and we will all miss her terribly.