Obituary of Donald G. Shapiro

DONALD  G SHAPIRO born  August 17, 1947 died  April 3, 2023

Donald, son of Alexander Shapiro and Elizabeth (Verlezza), lived in Maplewood from an early age until his recent death.  He attended Tuscan School, subsequently attending and graduating from Columbia High School in 1965.

He joined and served in the Air Force for four years after high school.  Some of this time was served in Turkey, where he loaded and unloaded special aircraft. Donald was well known in Turkey for his prowess as an arm wrestling champion and was proud of the fact that people traveled great distances to challenge him.

When he returned home to New Jersey, he worked as a truck driver for a number of years and later became a maintenance worker for New Jersey Transit.  He was still working at the time of his death.

Donald was predeceased by 7 aunts and uncles and is survived by his cousins Adriane Stewart, Bette Jean Nosti, Wayne Ronkiewicz, Flora Rafft, Phyllis Marmon, Thomas and Robert Verlezza, Joseph and Richard Fortino, Jeffrey and Thomas Tiplady, and numerous second cousins.

Donald was interred at Rosemont Cemetery with his mother, father and younger sister Jeannette who passed in 1971.

A memorial celebration is being planned by the family for a later date.