soul

of blessed memory

Invincible Spirit

RONELLE GRIER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A

sa Shapiro was an inspiration
to everyone who knew him. He
was a loving and devoted hus-
band, father and grandfather, a beloved
employer and a successful businessman
whose life was a testament to the power
of love, hard work and his own indomita-
ble spirit. Asa Shapiro died June 14, 2017,
in his West Bloomfield home, surrounded
by those who loved him most. He was 94.
Asa Shapiro, whose early years includ-
ed a backbreaking stint in a Siberian
prison camp and the loss of his family
during the Holocaust, survived to build a
successful business empire, ASA Builders
Supply Company and ASA Cabinet
Corporation, a caring and supportive
family and a wide circle of admiring
friends.
Asa began life in the small Polish town
of Koretz in 1922, where his parents
worked hard to take care of Asa and his
siblings: one brother and two sisters. At
age 15, Asa was sent to a Siberian labor
camp, where he spent three years. As
World War II began, he was sent to fight
for the Russian Army and was one of the
few men to survive the dangerous front
lines of Manchuria, Mongolia and Japan.
After the war, Asa returned to Koretz
to find that most of his family had been
killed by the Nazis, except his two sisters
who had escaped to Israel. There he met
Sara, a fellow survivor, who agreed to
become his wife. After a small wedding in
Germany, the new couple was detained
in a displaced persons (DP) camp. In
1949, with their 2-year-old son Mickey in
tow, Asa agreed to work in exchange for
passage on a ship to America.
After three weeks at sea, Asa and his
family arrived in Detroit, without a dollar
or a word of English. Asa soon found a

job in a lumberyard, work-
ing long hours to provide for
his wife and son. While the
hardship of his early life gave
him exceptional physical
strength, it made his spirit
even stronger.
“Not only did he survive,
he flourished,” said Rabbi
Bunny Freedman, execu-
tive director of the Jewish
Hospice and Chaplaincy
Asa Shapiro
Network, speaking at the
funeral service. “He was
a very strong man, but nothing was as
strong as his soul.”
In the early 1950s, Asa managed to buy
the lumberyard he worked in, marking
the start of what is now the largest trim
and door shop in Metro Detroit. Through
hard work and strong business ethics, he
developed loyal customers and a devoted
team of employees who he treated like
family. As his family and his business
grew, he welcomed his sons and, later, his
grandson David into the company.
He and Sara shared a partnership that
lasted more than 70 years, raising three
sons and taking pride as their family
grew. They enjoyed spending time in
Arizona and traveling to Israel and other
international destinations; being together
was their greatest joy.
As successful as Asa became, noth-
ing held more value than his family. His
happiest times were spent with his loved
ones, especially Sunday night dinners,
horseback riding with his sons, family
vacations and holiday dinners. As the
family grew, his grandchildren became
his pride and joy, and he took great
pleasure in attending their school and
sporting events and celebrating large and

While the hardship of his
early life gave Asa Shapiro
exceptional physical
strength, it made his
spirit even stronger.

small occasions.
His son Steven’s wife,
Margie, became the daughter Asa never
had, and the two had a staunch and
special bond that included family time
as well as one-on-one lunches. His sons
learned from their father the value of
friendship, generosity, compassion, hon-
esty and integrity.
“He had a big smile and an electric
energy,” Steven said.
In times of strife, Asa’s favorite expres-
sion was “Better days are coming.”
He loved to sing, and his repertoire of
Russian and Yiddish songs was a hit
at family gatherings. He spoke seven
languages and was known for his great
advice on business and personal matters.
Asa and Sara believed in sharing their
good fortune and made major contribu-
tions to organizations such as the U.S.
Holocaust Memorial Museum, Friends
of the Israel Defense Forces, the Mayo
Clinic and many other Jewish and secular
causes.
Going to synagogue was an impor-
tant part of Asa’s life, first at B’nai David
and later at Congregation Beth Ahm in
West Bloomfield, where Rabbi Steven
Rubenstein called him “a pillar of the
congregation.” It was there, four years

ago, that Asa met and befriended Sacha
Aquilar, then 2. The two shared a special
relationship that became the subject of
the children’s book, Moshe & Asa.
Asa Shapiro is survived by his lov-
ing wife of 70 years, Sara; sons, Mickey
Shapiro, Steven (Margie) Shapiro and
Eddie Shapiro; grandchildren, Michael
(Samantha) Shapiro, David Shapiro, Lisa
Shapiro ( fiance, Myles Gold) and Spencer
Shapiro; nephew, Daniel (Nehama)
Guralnik and a host of other beloved fam-
ily members and dear friends.
Contributions may be directed to
the Holocaust Memorial Center, 28123
Orchard Lake Road, Farmington Hills,
MI 48334, holocaustcenter.org, (248)
553-2400; USC Shoah Foundation,
650 W. 35th St., #114, Los Angeles, CA
90089, (213) 740-6001, www.sfi.usc.
edu; Congregation Beth Ahm, Asa and
Sara Shapiro Endowment Fund, 5075
W. Maple Drive, West Bloomfield, MI
48322, (248) 851-6880, www.cbahm.org;
or Jewish Hospice & Chaplaincy Network,
6555 W. Maple Drive, West Bloomfield,
MI 48322, (248) 592-2687, jewishhospice.
org. Interment was at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Arrangements by Ira Kaufman
Chapel. •

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