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A Tireless Advocate

Tina Bassett | Special to the Jewish News

E

sther K. Shapiro was born in
take away business licenses, file lawsuits,
Chicago in 1918 — two years before seek out refunds for mistreated custom-
women won the right to vote in the
ers and even put scammers in jail. She
U.S. — and yet used her voice, sharp intel- asked everyone to “check the labels” on
lect and profound concern
her regular consumer report
for people to advocate for
on radio station WWJ and
better lives for all for nearly
in her weekly column in the
all her 98 years.
Detroit Free Press.
Esther died Oct. 14, 2016,
Early in her career, she
at her home in Detroit.
stopped a criminal scam that
She was well known
took deposits from people
as the first director of
for leads on low-cost apart-
Detroit’s Consumer Affairs
ments. The leads never came.
Esther Shapiro
Department, a position
Profiled on MSNBC’s Red
created by Mayor Coleman
Tape Chronicles, Esther
Young in 1974, and one she
remembered one woman
held until she retired in 1998
who came for her refund.
at age 80. Under her tenure, the depart-
“She just kind of grabbed it, like you
ment was perhaps the most active of its
would grab food if you were hungry,”
kind in the nation.
Esther recounted. “Then she said to me,
But Esther’s advocacy, and that of her
‘Do you know what it’s like to be a welfare
husband, labor union organizer Harold
mother and be cheated out of your last
Shapiro, was a lifelong effort that inspired
dollar?’ And walked away. That really
and informed national movements. She
stuck with me.”
was a fearless and tireless advocate for
Esther and Harold were leaders in gar-
civil rights and voting rights. Her vision
nering support for voting and civil rights,
and her passion were part of her unwaver- and helping to get African Americans
ing belief that every person had the right
elected to both local and national office.
to live with dignity as well as full and
She helped run campaigns and raise funds
equal rights.
for voter education and information, and
Esther had and exercised real power to
was vital to the election of Congressmen
protect consumers. She had the power to
John Conyers and George Crockett.

RUTH “NANCY”
BARR, 89, of West
Bloomfield, died Oct. 24,
2016.
She is survived by her
husband of 65 years, Dr.
Martin Barr; sons and
daughters-in-law, Dr.
Barr
Lawrence and Sue Barr,
Richard Barr and Nancy
Welber Barr, and Steven
and Patti Barr; daughter, Debbie Shapiro;
grandchildren, Dr. Rachel Barr and Lee
Grzesh, Allison and Blake Bertany, Jessica
and Joel Albers, Jennifer Shapiro, Emily and
Henri Larivee, Rebecca Shapiro, Michael
Barr, Jaclyn Shapiro and Logan Barr; great-
grandchildren, Isabella and Zara.
Mrs. Barr was the loving sister of the late
Judy Beckman.
Contributions may be made to Wayne
State University College of Pharmacy,
Martin Barr Endowed Lecture Fund,
Attn: Development Office, 259 Mack Ave.,
Detroit, MI 48201, cphs.wayne.edu/about/
giving.php; or Meals on Wheels, National
Council of Jewish Women, 26400 Lahser
Road, Suite 100, Southfield, MI 48034.

Arrangements by Ira Kaufman Chapel.

GEORGE CHODOROFF,
86, of Farmington Hills,
died Oct. 26, 2016.
He is survived by his
wife of 64 years, Valerie
Chodoroff; daughter and
son-in-law, Wendy and
Richard Eckstein; sons
Chodoroff
and daughters-in-law,
Brian Chodoroff and Patty
Benson, Gary Chodoroff
and Wendy Hillebrand; grandchildren,
Alex Eckstein, Jared and Phoebe Eckstein,
Clare, Laura, Benjamin and Eric Chodoroff;
great-grandchildren, Daniel and Claudia
Eckstein; sisters, Ruth Newman and Harriet
Chodoroff.
Mr. Chodoroff was the loving brother-in-
law of the late Dr. David Shlain.
Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Contributions may be made
to Jewish Vocational Service, 29699
Southfield Road, Southfield, MI 48076,
www.jvsdet.org; Hadassah-Greater Detroit
Chapter, 5030 Orchard Lake Road, West
Bloomfield, MI 48323, www.hadassah.org/

She was an early supporter of Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr. through a Detroit-
based women’s group called Friends of
the South. That group raised funds for
the activities of Dr. King and the Freedom
Marchers and was recognized by Dr. King
when he came to Detroit in the 1960s.
She coordinated President Johnson’s
War on Poverty Volunteer Training
Program at the Detroit Public Schools,
becoming the consumer education spe-
cialist at the Michigan Credit Union
League, a statewide organization serving
more than 1 million credit union families.
She lectured on consumer rights and
protections to countless organizations
and public institutions well into her 90s
and was recognized through her election
to national consumer protection boards,
including president of the Consumer
Federation of America. She was the first
non-lawyer to achieve the State Bar of
Michigan’s Frank Kelly Consumer Award
and is the namesake for an annual award
given by the Society of Consumer Affairs
Professionals in Business for those who
share her “visionary leadership and ethical
standards in consumer affairs.”
Esther was a national commentator on
consumer affairs sought after by journal-
ists and policy makers for her encyclope-
dic knowledge and experience.
It’s perhaps no coincidence that Esther
and Harold met when she was a young
woman on strike from a New York City
sweatshop fighting for better conditions.
Harold was a fiery union organizer who

urged the women to stay strong. They
bonded over their mutual concern for peo-
ple and for great literature — Shakespeare,
in particular.
One of her closest friends, Harriet
Saperstein, remembers that Esther orga-
nized summer trips to Stratford for a
group of good friends and eventually her
grandsons. “I remember how sad she was
when she realized last spring that she no
longer had the strength to attend,” Harriet
said.
Esther and Harold’s legacy is alive in
their family tree. Their granddaughter
fights for immigrant workers’ rights in
Seattle and their daughter is active in the
Women in Black peace movement.
Although Esther was predeceased by
Harold and her son, Mark, she is survived
by her daughter and son-in-law, Andrea
K. Shapiro (James Williams) of Tacoma,
Wash.; daughter-in-law, Ann Shapiro of
Farmington Hills; grandchildren, Evelyn
Shapiro of Tacoma, Matthew O’Connor
(Amanda Stiles) of Richmond, Calif., Nick
Shapiro (Holly Turner) of Oakland, Calif.,
Peter Shapiro (Jennifer) of Queens, N.Y.;
great-grandchildren, Harold Shapiro-
Pedersen, Maxwell and Mariana.
She will be remembered by many.
“She was really annoyed with Carol
and me about nominating her for the
Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame,”
Saperstein said. “But when she was there
in October of 2015, she ‘turned on’ and
did a sparkling presentation with the
theme, of course, of ‘read the label.’”

detroit; or Dorothy and Peter Brown Jewish
Community Adult Day Care Program, 6720
W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, MI 48322,
http://bit.ly/2fxToZS. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

Institute for Retired Professionals, c/o Jewish
Community Center, 6600 W. Maple Road,
West Bloomfield, MI 48322, westbloomfield.
lwww.jccdet.org/adults/irp; Congregation
Beth Shalom, 14601 W. Lincoln, Oak Park,
MI 48237, www.congbethshalom.org; or
Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network, 6555
W. Maple, West Bloomfield, MI 48322, www.
jewishhospice.org. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.

BERTHA CHOMSKY,
96, of Southfield, died
Oct. 30, 2016.
She is survived by her
sons and daughter-in-
law, Barrett Chomsky,
and David and Susan
Chomsky; grandchildren,
Chomsky
Erica Lynn Chomsky and
her partner, Jeff Adelson,
Madison Chomsky
Albright and Ryan Albright, and Nathan
Hillel Chomsky; her dear friend and care-
giver, Anne Harper.
Mrs. Chomsky was the beloved wife of the
late Max Chomsky; the cherished mother
of the late Frieda Lynn Chomsky; the loving
sister of the late Shirley and the late Edward
Gluklick, and the late Jack and the late
Miriam Belkin.
Interment was at Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Contributions may be made to the

*

ROCHELLE COLVIN, 80, of Farmington
Hills, died Oct. 29, 2016.
She is survived by her sons and daugh-
ters-in-law, Daniel and Suzanne Colvin
of Farmington Hills, Gilbert Colvin and
Deborah Maxwell of Grand Blanc; grand-
children, Thomas and James Colvin, Kelsey
Maxwell; caregiver, Jina Johns; many loving
nieces, nephews, other loving family mem-
bers and friends.
Contributions may be made to the ALS
Association, the Alzheimer’s Association
or to a charity of one’s choice. A memo-
rial service will be held at a later date.
Arrangements by Dorfman Chapel.

continued on page 66

Obituaries November 3 • 2016

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