Obituary - Sheldon Shapiro
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Friends and family marked the passing of Shelly Shapiro in the early morning of January 15 at the age of 95. He was a resident of the Cedarfield Community of Henrico for the past four years and a Richmond native since 1951.
Born in the Bronx, in the shadow of his beloved Yankee Stadium, Shelly entered the U.S. Army at the close of hostilities in World War II in Europe, where he managed the schedules of an Army band once led by the legendary Glenn Miller. After an early discharge, he moved to Richmond, and by 1951 was employed by the Wards Corporation, which was renamed Circuit City in 1978.
In 1981 Shelly assumed responsibility for purchasing and marketing major appliances for the corporation in a diversification effort that continued until his retirement in January 1994.
As an accomplished corporate leader, Shelly then joined a nationwide mentoring effort for aspiring businessmen, the Service Corps of Retired Executives, known as SCORE. He was chairman of its Richmond branch, and under his leadership, the Richmond Chapter was named “Chapter of the Year” in 2004.
Shelly enjoyed all things music, crossword puzzles, the Yankees, and playing bridge.
Shelly married Thelma Rosenzweig in 1949 and joined her efforts in fund-raising for the Medical College of Virginia for ten years after his retirement. Thelma passed on in 2006 after 57 years of marriage to Shelly.
Devoted to his family, past and present, Shelly is survived by his loving wife of 16 years, Shirley; son, Steve Shapiro; daughters, Carol Healey (partner, Steve Miller), Andi Butler (husband, Mike); grandson, Matthew Shapiro; granddaughter, Ashley Butler; and Shirley’s children and grandchildren.
The family expresses its gratitude to members of the health care staff of Cedarfield for their loving care of Shelly in his final days.
A celebration of life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Jewish Family Services, 6718 Patterson Ave Richmond, VA 23226.
