Judith Marion Shapiro

Obituary courtesy Downing Cottage Funeral Chapel.

Judith "Judie" Marion Shapiro, age 87, passed away peacefully at her home in Hingham, Massachusetts, on March 14, 2026.

Judie was born in Arlington, Massachusetts, to James and Marion Calderwood. She grew up in Needham, Massachusetts, with her siblings Bruce Calderwood, Nancy Tuttle, Carolyn Flaherty, and Doug Calderwood. After graduating from high school, Judie pursued her calling in medicine and earned her nursing degree from the New England Baptist Hospital Nursing School.

Her adventurous spirit led her to join the United States Air Force, where she served as a nurse at the Kincheloe AFB in Kinross, Michigan. During her stay in Michigan, she met the man of her dreams, Dr. William Hartman Shapiro. They were married at the Air Force Base Chapel on January 14, 1967, beginning a devoted partnership that spanned 43 years until his passing.

After a brief time in Washington, D.C., the family moved to Rutherfordton, North Carolina, in 1968. A lifelong learner, Judie completed multiple Bachelor's and Master's degree programs while working. She shared her expertise as a nursing instructor at the local community college and served as the head of the Education Department at Rutherford Hospital.

Judie was deeply active in her church and was rarely seen without a book in her hand or a cup of hot tea nearby. Above all, she cherished the time spent with her family, especially her four grandchildren. Following the death of her husband, she returned to her Massachusetts roots and resettled in Hingham.

Judie is survived by her three children: Liz Shapiro; Sara Daugherty and her husband, John; and William Shapiro and his wife, Laura. She was the proud grandmother of Hailey Shapiro, Isabelle Shapiro, Luke Daugherty, and Sophia Daugherty. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, William.

An intimate celebration of life will be held on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, at St. John's Episcopal Church in Hingham. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Judie's memory to Cori Health Hospice Care or St. John's Episcopal Church.