Irving "Kibby" Shapiro's Obituary
Irving (known as Kibby) Shapiro passed away on November 16th, 2024. He was 99 years young and he died before he got old.
Kibby was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan on March 26th, 1925. He was the youngest of four siblings: Esther Klein, Joseph Shapiro and Martha Leiner, all of whom pre-deceased him. Their parents, Dora Etess Shapiro and William Shapiro, emigrated from Ukraine. Kibby joined the U.S. Army at the age of 17 and, after basic training, was sent to the European Front. He fought in major battles such as Normandy, Battle of the Bulge and St. Croix, and completed his service after the war in Germany. He was very proud of his service and often wore his WWII Veteran’s hat, enjoying the accolades of people whom he met. For many years, Kibby worked in the food industry but he eventually switched careers and became a zipper salesman in New York’s Garment Center.
Kibby met his wife, Bunny (née Ilse Joseph), on the subway and vowed that he would marry her. She had emigrated from Germany in 1939. They got married in 1950 and were together until her death in 2016. After the Lower East Side, they lived in Brooklyn and Ft. Lee, NJ, before retiring to Florida. After the death of his sister-in-law, Rose Shapiro, and his brother, Joseph, Kibby and Bunny adopted their orphaned nephew and niece, William (Billy) and Fern. The family then moved into the same Brooklyn apartment building as his sister, Esther (Charlie) Klein and Martha (Joey) Leiner, and nephew, William Leiner.
Kibby loved “the horses,” frequently going “to the track” and studying the racing forms. He and Bunny enjoyed traveling to Puerto Rico, Acapulco, Las Vegas, and Miami Beach. They returned to Germany (as part of the country’s reparations program for Holocaust survivors) and also visited Israel. Kibby was a “kibitzer” and was loved by all who knew him. Even at the age of 99, he had friends of all ages with whom he “loved to chew the fat.”
Kibby is survived by his adopted children, William Shapiro and Fern Satin (Fred), five grandchildren, Philip Bell (Alice Beck), Jason Satin (Heather), Russell Satin (Kate), Jane Bell, and Nathan Satin (Eliana). He is also survived by eight great-grandchildren, Landon Satin, Mason Satin, Nicholas Satin, Misha Bell, Rose Satin, Sonia Bell, Hannah Satin and Emmy Satin. In addition, Kibby is survived by many nieces, nephews, and friends who he loved very much.
Kibby will be buried next to Bunny at New Montefiore Cemetery in Long Island, NY. If you would like to make a donation in memory of Kibby, please consider any U.S. Veterans charities, such as Honor Flight Network, Veterans of Foreign Wars or Homes for Our Troops.
As a child of the Depression and an overall good guy, Kibby loved to comment, “It doesn’t cost anything to be nice!”
What’s your fondest memory of Irving?
What’s a lesson you learned from Irving?
Share a story where Irving's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Irving you’ll never forget.
How did Irving make you smile?
