In the garden of memory
In the palace of dreams
That is where you and I shall meet.
-Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking Glass
Announcing the peaceful conclusion of the well-lived life of Michele Sommer-Shapiro.
Michelle transitioned into spiritual abundance and peace on August 31st, 2026,
surrounded by her family.
Born in 1955 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Ralph and Harriet (née Barnett) Sommer,
Michelle attended F. S. Edmonds Elementary and Leeds Junior High, graduating from
Cheltenham High School in 1972. She earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of
Maryland in 1976, majoring in art education with a concentration in ceramics,
photography, and studio art.
After completing her studies, Michele moved to Washington, DC, where she held
various jobs, working for several organizations, including The Jewish Organization (DC
Office); the National Center for Resource Recovery; Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton;
and, of course, the infamous Fran O’Brien’s Steakhouse, where she was a server
alongside her best friend, Lisa Robinson.
Michele met the love of her life, Harold Shapiro, through mutual friends while living in
DC. Their romance began when she tutored Harold in Art History, a course he was
failing. Soon after, she became Second Mate to Captain Harold Shapiro on The Roy,
their treasured boat and, for a time, their home. Their bond was sealed one fateful
summer day in 1978, when a storm blew into the Chesapeake Bay. The Roy met a
tragic end (“the tiny ship was tossed!”), but they miraculously survived. Soon after, on
May 27, 1979, Harold and Michele were married at Temple Sinai in Dresher,
Pennsylvania. They celebrated their love with a first dance to Al Green’s “Let’s Stay
Together.”
Michele and Harold left DC as newlyweds and moved just north of the Mason/Dixon
Line to a beautiful pre-Civil War house. Their first daughter, Jessica, was born in 1981.
Their second daughter, Rachel, was born in 1983. Although their “Old House” had many
charms, the family outgrew it. Drawing on Harold’s many talents as a craftsman, they
decided to build a house – by themselves – on a majestic property atop University Hill,
near Harold’s parents, Jack and Hilde. This house and studio have become a living,
breathing, ever-evolving work of art that will continue to grow with the extended Shapiro
clan for many more years.
For most of her career, Michele taught art in the Greencastle Antrim School District,
where she mentored countless students, helping them find their artistic voice and place
in the world.
Throughout it all, Michele cultivated a rich, creative life filled with art, poetry, friends, and
adventures near and far.
Michelle remains in the hearts and minds of her husband, Harold; her daughters, Jessi
Shapiro (James Braddy) and Rachel (David Kowitz); her sister, Caren Lazar (David);
her brother, Richard Sommer (Laura Miller); her grandchildren, Ella, Lane, Hilde, Elsie,
Dylan, and Dean; and her beloved nieces, nephews, in-laws, cousins, and friends, all of
whom cherish the life she created and freely shared.
Missed beyond words by everyone she touched, Michelle’s art will carry her memory
forever forward.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to support community arts and
arts education:
Franklin Fine Arts Center (Chicago Public Schools, K-8), her granddaughters Elsie
and Hilde’s school
Checks payable to Friends of Franklin
Attn: Kelly Sparks
225 W Evergreen
Chicago, IL 60610
Venmo: @Friendsof-Franklin (last four digits of phone number: 1973)
All donations are tax deductible.
Franklin County Art Alliance
Attn: Linda Gottfried
PO Box 1341
Chambersburg, PA 17201
Baltimore School for the Arts
Online: bsfa.org/ways-to-give
Venmo: @baltschoolarts
PayPal: [email protected]
Checks mailed to:
BSA Foundation
712 Cathedral St
Baltimore, MD 21201
