ALBERT A. SHAPIRO, 86, of Henderson, Nev., formerly of Detroit, died Oct. 10, 1999. He is survived by his wife, Anne Shapiro; son and daughter-in-law Jack and Dorothy Shapiro of Henderson; sister-in-law Regina Shapiro; grandson David Shapiro; great-granddaughter Daniella Silverstein. Mr. Shapiro was the beloved husband of the late Ruth Shapiro; loving grandfather of the late Debbie Silverstein. Services and intermenty were held at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
HAROLD SHAPIRO, unable to pay for college during the Depression, wound up riding the rails westward as a hobo.
Starting in New York and traveling across America, he witnessed the plight of desperately poor people, especially African Americans. In San Francisco, striking longshoremen persuaded him not to take a waterfront job -- winning him over to the union cause that would define the rest of his life.
Harold L. Shapiro, 83, a labor activist and civil rights champion in Detroit for five decades and a political mentor of the late Detroit Mayor Coleman Young, died Sept. 21, 1999 of cancer. Survivors include his wife, Esther Shapiro, long-time head of the city's consumer affairs department.
Daughter Andrea Shapiro said, "One of the most remarkable things about my father, besides all of the struggles that he led for workers, was his very, very strong commitment early on to civil rights. He inherited a very strong humanitarian ideal from his parents. He had a visceral hatred of bigotry and injustice."
Mr. Shapiro was instrumental in integrating labor leadership after World War II and helping African Americans reach political power in Detroit.
"Hal was a white eagle who now has flown into the sun," said former UAW official Dave Moore, an African American. In the late 1940s, Moore worked with Mr. Shapiro to found the National Negro Labor Council, which sought to integrate the upper echelons of trade union leadership. Their efforts helped get Coleman Young elected the first black member of the executive board of the Wayne County CIO Council.
"Hal was a white man who was willing to take positions regarding black folks that were unpopular at the time," Moore said.
Mr. Shapiro later helped rally union support for Young's election in the 1960s as a delegate to the Michigan constitutional convention and as a member of the state Senate, then, in 1973, as Detroit's first African American mayor.
Mr. Shapiro was born in the small, upstate New York town of Jeffersonville. He met his future wife in the early 1940s. "By the time I met him in New York City, he was working in a textile plant," Esther Shapiro said. "Upon seeing the inequality between men and women, he organized the plant and led them on a strike."
In 1944, the Fur and Leather Workers Union hired Mr. Shapiro to organize locals in Detroit. "From then on, his whole career was as an international labor representative," she said.
Based in Detroit, Mr. Shapiro organized many diverse groups, including meat cutters in the Midwest and cannery workers in Texas border towns. He helped African American women get pay equal to white women locally at Frigid Foods.
The Shapiros were also in the forefront for racial equality.
"My mother and father were founding members of Michigan Friends of the South in the 1960s," said daughter Andrea. "They did a great deal of fund raising and providing legal aid during the civil rights movement."
Since the 1940s, Mr. Shapiro also helped raise over a half million dollars for social justice grants through the Buck Dinner Committee.
In the political arena, he helped Rev. Charles Hill in his unsuccessful campaign to become the first African American elected to the Detroit City Council. He assisted the congressional campaigns of U.S. Rep. John Conyers and former Congressman George Crockett.
After retiring from union activity, Mr. Shapiro was appointed by Mayor Young to the Detroit Police Commission. He served from 1983-88 and 1993-95. Said Esther Shapiro, "One of Hal's first actions on the police commission was to draw up guidelines for police conduct on picket lines."
During the McCarthy era, Mr. Shapiro, as leader of the activist Fur and Leather Workers Union, was called before the House Un-American Activities Committee. Afterward, he would expose the bullying nature of the committee by playing recordings of his testimony at union rallies.
Remembering life in her family growing up, Andrea Shapiro recalled that "there were always people in the house -- workers, artists, intellectuals, actors. Anyone coming through Detroit who was active in progressive and trade union causes usually wound up at our house. It was very exciting."
Son Mark Shapiro described his father as very intelligent, deeply thoughtful and a sometimes poet. A poem Mr. Shapiro wrote to his wife was incorporated into the program of his memorial service, held Sept. 26 in Detroit. Speaking of his yearning for social justice as well as love, the poem said in part: "Can a lover sing of love when hate is high?" It concluded with the desire to "break men's chains and set us free, to love and live the way we hoped to be."
Mr. Shapiro is survived by his wife, Esther; son and daughter-in-law, Mark and Ann Shapiro; daughter Andrea Shapiro; grandchildren Nick Shapiro, Peter Shapiro, Matthew O'Connor and Evelyn O'Connor; sisters Ruthe Gottfried and Florence Meyer; and sister-in-law Jeanne Guiser.
Contributions may be made to the Metro Council of Newspaper Unions-Strike Defense Fund, 3300 Book Building, Detroit, MI 48226; ACLU Fund of Michigan, 1249 Washington Blvd., Suite 2910, Detroit, MI 48226; or Henry Ford Health System Hospice, 1 Ford Place, Suite 2A, Detroit, MI 48202.
PARALEE SHAPIRO, 77, of Pikesville, Md., died Sept. 20, 1999. Ms. Shapiro was a bookkeeper. She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Rona and Dr. Frank Kosmakos; son and daughter-in-law Jeffrey and Tomasa Shapiro; grandchildren Stefanie Dana Kosmakos and Joshua Aaron Eugene Shapiro; brothers and sisters-in-law WIlliam and June Poplack of Birmingham, Richard and Denise Poplack of Shelby Township. Interment was at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Hospice, 6602 North Charles St., Towson, MD 21204. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
HYMAN SHAPIRO, 86, of West Bloomfield, died Nov. 17. He is survived by his beloved wife, Ruth Shapiro; son and daughter-in-law, Melvin and Lenore Shapiro of Ft. Mojave, Ariz; daughter and son-in-law, Ann and Sandy Porvin of West Bloomfield; sister, Pauline Goodstein of Farmington Hills; grandchildren, Lisa (Brian) Rousseau, Julie (James) Boettcher, Debra (Jeffrey) Randa, Andrea (Randy) Weiss, Josh Porvin, David (Rachel) Silverman; great-grandchildren, Daniel Weiss, Ava Rose Randa & Sydney Pappenheim. Graveside services were held at the Hebrew Memorial Park Cemetery. Contributions can be made to the charity of ones choice. Arrangements by Dorfman Funeral Direction.
GERTRUDE SHAPIRO, formerly of Detroit, died Oct. 24. Mrs. Shapiro is survived by her daughters, Victoria Prince, Marcia Shapiro, Diane Weber Shapiro, Wendy Kuehn; sisters-in-law, Lilyan Alpern of Ohio, Peggy Cole of Southfield, Ruth Weiss of Southfield, Sylvia Stern of Southfield; brother-in-law, Ben Stanton; nieces and nephews and great-nieces and great-nephews. She was the beloved wife of the late Harry Shapiro and the dear sister-in-law of the late Gloria Kief. Placed at the request of the family by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
SHERMAN SHAPIRO, 90, of West Bloomfield, died May 19. Mr. Shapiro was a self-employed real estate investor. He was also a member of Adat Shalom. Mr. Shapiro is survived by his wife, Mary Shapiro; daughters and sons-in-law, Judi and Bernard Mindell of Franklin, Devorah and David Rossoff of Israel; grandchildren, Amy Mindell Ravid and Lior Ravid, Debbie Mindell and Marc Rosenblatt, Jeffrey Mindell, Yaacov and Rivka Rossoff, Chava and Chaim March, Belalel Rossoff, Rachel Rossoff, Elijah Rossoff, Joseph Rossoff, Avrohom Rossoff, Chaim Rossoff, Ester Rossoff; great-grandchildren, Allie and Eli Ravid, Yisroel Rossoff and Menachim March. Arrangements by the Ira Kaufman Chapel.
LEAH STOLARSKY, 99, of Scottsdale, Ariz., died Sept. 26. She is survived by her sisters-in-law, Renee Edelstein, Anne Triunfol; nieces and nephews. Contributions may be made to Michigan Anti-Cruelty Association, 13569 Joseph Campau, Hamtramck, MI 48212. Services and intermenty at Hebrew Memorial Park. Arrangemnts by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
LANORE STONE, 80, of West Bloomfield, died May 28, 2001. She was a member of B'nai B'rith.
She is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Andrea and Bruce Katz of West Bloomfield, Nancy and Michael Pomish of West Bloomfield; daughter-in-law, Jill Horowitz; grandchildren, Emily and Carly Katz, Brandon and Evan Pomish, Lauren, Erica and Bret Horowitz; sisters and brother-in-law, Rita Levitt, Bernyce Heller, Norma and Otto Hess, Myra Fried; brother and sister-in-law, Dennis and Sue Kay. She was the beloved wife of the late Sol P. Stone; loving mother of the late Alan Stone and the late Barry Stone.
Interment at Beth El Memorial Park. Contributions may be made to the Karmanos Cancer Institute or Hospice of Michigan. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
BEATRICE REDSTONE, 71, of Oak Park, died May 19, 2001.
She is survived by her beloved husband Samuel Redstone; sons and daughters-in-law, David Redstone of Ferndale, Allan and Marie Redstone of Caddsford, Pa., Michael and Linda Redstone of Northbrook, Ill.; grandchildren, Emily and Gillian.
Contributions may be made to Gilda's Club of Detroit, 3517 Rochester Rd., Royal Oak, MI 48073 or the Jewish National Fund, 17100 W. 10 Mile Rd., Southfield, MI 48075. Arrangements by the Dorfman Chapel.
HANNAH LEVIN GLADSTONE, Family And Politics:
Although she stood only 4 feet 10, Hannah Levin Gladstone loomed large as big sister to two members of Congress -- sharing a fire for politics and love of family.
Mrs. Gladstone, 73, of Seattle, died May 16, 2001 of congestive heart failure. Over the years she assisted the campaigns of her brothers, Rep. Sander Levin, D-Royal Oak, and Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., and served as "mother hen" for the extended Levin family.
"Hannah's influence on us was never subtle at all," said Carl Levin. "It was very direct and very blunt. She knew how to tell her brothers straight what was on her mind.
"She was very much a part of every campaign. Sometimes as a volunteer, other times as our key adviser."
Mrs. Gladstone handled outreach to ethnic communities for Sander Levin's campaigns for governor in 1970 and 1974, and Carl Levin's elections to the Detroit City Council and then the U.S. Senate in 1978. Her late husband, Bill Gladstone, was chairman of the 17th District Democratic Party in northwest Detroit in the 1960s.
"She had an inexhaustible ability to make friends," said Sander Levin. "She was our goodwill ambassador without portfolio.
"Hannah was scrappy, feisty -- she was the best trooper of us all."
Mrs. Gladstone also worked in constituent services for James Blanchard when he was a congressman and was later appointed by Govs. Blanchard and John Engler to the Social Justice Committee in Lansing. She also served on the board of the Metropolitan Detroit Chapter of the American Jewish Committee.
Rabbi Irwin Groner of Congregation Shaarey Zedek, who spoke at her funeral, said Mrs. Gladstone "brought personal and vivid meaning to the word 'service.'" She advanced the work of many institutions and causes in the community -- including teaching at Sill Elementary School in Detroit.
"That school is in an area of poverty and depravation," said Rabbi Groner. "Hannah Gladstone saw this assignment as an opportunity, a challenge ... to elevate the quality of life for those who have been denied so much."
Mrs. Gladstone valiantly fought off lung cancer in the early 1970s, and went on to assist with public relations at the Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC), inspiring others to overcome cancer.
"She did an awful lot of good for other people and never bothered to take credit," said Dr. Vainutis Vaitkevicius, interim president of the Karmanos Cancer Institute at the DMC.
Mrs. Gladstone was very open with her emotions and became the confidante for her extended family, said Rabbi Groner. She moved to Arizona in the mid-1990s for health reasons and later to Seattle to be near her two daughters and three grandchildren. She died three days before grandson Daniel's bar mitzvah.
At the funeral, held two days after the bar mitzvah, Rabbi Groner read remarks Mrs. Gladstone had written for her grandson's celebration:
"'What one values in life is so important. And there is none more important in my mind than the value of family ... Family is of value to me more precious than gold and cannot be bought or sold.'"
Said her brother, Sander, "The family was her world, but the world was her family."
Mrs. Gladstone is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Debbie Gladstone and Brian Bursell of Seattle, Judi Gladstone and Allen Otto of Edmonds, Wash.; grandchildren, Aaron, Daniel and Libby Otto and brothers and sisters-in-law, Congressman Sander and Vickie Levin and Sen. Carl and Barbara Levin.
She was the beloved wife of the late William Gladstone.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park Cemetery. Contributions may be made to Karmanos Cancer Institute, 110 E. Warren, Detroit, MI 48201. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
SONIA FIRESTONE, 94, of West Bloomfield, died April 12, 2001.
She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Dr. Nathan and Ardell Firestone of Boca Raton, Fla.; daughter, Mickey Gold of West Bloomfield; sister, Lottie Halperin of West Bloomfield; grandchildren, Shelly and Mark Rubenfire, Denise Gold, Keri and Tom Workman, David and Brenda Firestone, Merrick and Monica Firestone, Gregory Firestone; great-grandchildren, Adam, Jason, Brett, Taylor, Ethan, Emma, Karli, Shannon, Jackie, Dillan, Camille, Mallory. She was the beloved wife of the late Saul Firestone; loving grandmother of the late Joshua Firestone.
Contributions may be made to Joshua Scott Firestone Fund at Gift of Life, The Transplantation Society of Michigan, 2203 Platt Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Interment at Adat Shalom Memorial Park Cemetery. Arrangements by Hebrew Memorial Chapel.
FREDERICK PAUL WATERSTONE, 68, of Pompano Beach, Fla., died Feb. 27, 2001. He was an insurance agent, a Jewish War veteran and a member of the Furniture Club.
Mr. Waterstone is survived by his wife, Carol Waterstone; daughters and sons-in-law, Lisa and Bill Gerlich of West Bloomfield, Sherrie and John Schwartz of Ortonville; sons and daughter-in-law, Joel and Carrie Waterstone of Farmington Hills, Jared Waterstone; grandchildren, Heather and Greg Gerlich, Miranda Waterstone, Lauryn and Jordyn Waterstone; brother and sister-in-law, Howard and Lee Waterstone. He was the loving father of the late Nathan Waterstone.
Interment at Machpelah Cemetery. Contributions may be directed to Hospice by the Sea, 1531 West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486 or the Karmanos Cancer Institute. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
ANNE SHARNIK KEYSTONE, 94, of New Mexico, formerly of West Bloomfield, died Sept. 12, 2000. She was a former member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek and Knollwood Country Club. Mrs. Keystone is survived by her daughter, Marlene Schatz of New Mexico and Palm Springs, Calif; son and daughter-in-law, Jay and Lanie Keystone of Reno, Nev.; son-in-law, Harvey Schatz; grandchildren Mark and Amy Schatz, Andrea and Zachary Schatz, Nancy and Michael Keystone, Jenny and Jonas Keystone, David and Caroline Keystone; great-grandchildren, Gracie Schatz, Bennett Schatz, Suzanna Keystone and Tao Mok; sister, Shirley Sharnik of San Diego and brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Harry and Belle Keystone of Toronto. Mrs. Keystone was the dear sister of the late Rose Wisper. Services and intermenty were in Los Angeles. Contributions may be made to a charity of one's choice. Placed at the request of the family by Ira Kaufman Chapel.
