Leonard Shapiro

LEONARD SHAPIRO
October 9, 1934 – April 7, 2023
Leonard Sander Shapiro passed away in peace at the age of 88, at home with his beloved wife of 66 years, Deborah by his side. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he moved to Los Angeles as a child, later attending Hamilton High School and Los Angeles City College. In 1954, he joined the U.S. Air Force, scoring in the top one-half of one percent of all inductees for language proficiency. Sent to Syracuse University for intensive training in Russian, he became fluent in nine months, despite having no previous familiarity or training in that or any other foreign language. Assigned to a secret listening post on St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, forty miles off the Siberian coast, he monitored Soviet air traffic during the height of the Cold War. A respected manufacturer’s representative for Hooker Furniture for 45 years, he was a proud member of the American Legion, the Jonathan Club, and the supporters of the Democratic Party, and UCLA football. He is survived by Deborah and their two sons, David and Jonathan, their daughters-in-law Deborah and Betsy, and five grandchildren: Susan, Grant, Sarah, Abraham, and Ezekiel. In lieu of flowers the Family requests that you consider donating to the charitable organization of your choice, in Leonard’s memory. Funeral services will take place on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, at 10:00 am, at Hillside Memorial Park, 6001 W. Centinela Avenue, Culver City, CA. (310) 641-0707.