Deanna Naisuler Shapiro

Deanna Shapiro was born on March 14, 1937, to Harry and Mary Naisuler in Boston, Massachusetts. She graduated from the Jeramiah E. High School for women in Boston in 1954. Deanna graduated from Fisher Junior College Boston in 1956, majoring in Executive secretarial and managment. Following completion of her studies, she served as a secretary at the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company till 1958 and continued to work for the Gorsey and Wall Accounting firm in Boston.

She married Dr. Stewart Shapiro in 1962 in Milton, Massachusetts. Dr. Shapiro established a dental practice in Randolph, Massachusetts where Deanna worked as a dental assistant. She gave birth to her first daughter, Deborah Ann, in 1964 and her second daughter, Susan Ruth, in 1967.

Deanna was always supportive of her husband’s career and although it was difficult to leave her parents, they moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1969 when he became a faculty member at the University of Maryland and at The Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She was always the dedicated homemaker to him and the children.

Then another move occurred in 1972 and they moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He was one of the Founding Faculty Members of the University of Oklahoma College of Dentistry. Deanna was not one to sit at home. She worked for the John A. Brown department store as an executive secretary from 1973 to 1984. She left the retail world and became a stenographer at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Oklahoma City, from 1984 until she retired in 2000.

Deanna was known as the “traditional Jewish nanny” to her three grandchildren, Rachel Lopo daughter of Deborah and Thomas Lope, Faryn and Eli Duncan daughter and son of Susan and Mark Duncan. They always knew if they wanted something, “just ask Nanny.” Deanna was the perennial babysitter for the grandchildren and was their most trusted confidant and friend. Through her granddaughters, Deanna gained two grandsons-in-law Nathan Lobaugh and Greg Kinney.

She loved dancing and as a young woman trained in ballet. In addition to being a music lover, she played the piano beautifully, and was blessed in her ability to play by ear, which always was a treat to the grandchildren. Deanna was a soft-spoken woman with a colorful energy who always had a kind word for everyone and helped when one needed. She will be truly missed by family and friends who shared in her life.

Funeral Services for Deanna will take place on Monday, August 14 at 2:00 pm at Chapel Hill Funeral Home. Located at 8701 Northwest Expressway, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73162