Albert Murray Shapiro

Albert Murray “Boots” Shapiro, of Sun City, Texas, passed away peacefully on Memorial Day, May 25, 2026, at the age of 98. The nickname came from the boots he favored and wore most of his life — practical, like he was.

Born in San Antonio on November 11, 1927, Al graduated from high school in January 1945 and enlisted in the U.S. Maritime Service. He served as a radio operator aboard the SS Jack Singer until it was torpedoed in the Pacific; he was blown overboard, wounded, and spent a night alone at sea before rescue. When he turned 18 and registered with the draft board, he was transferred into the U.S. Army, where he was selected for the Army Security Agency and served in classified signals intelligence at Vint Hill Farms and Arlington Hall Stations. He continued to serve his country quietly in classified military capacities for many years afterward.

Al married Sandra Reisner on August 6, 1950, and was married to her for 48 years until her death in 1998. He married Joanie in April 2000, and the two traveled the world together. He built a nearly 40-year career at The Prudential Insurance Company, retiring in 1990, and was also at various times a photographer, woodworker, stained glass artist, and Eagle Scout.

As a young man, Al’s surgery to repair a serious leg injury was paid for by a San Antonio jeweler named Buster Scharlock, who refused repayment and asked only that Al “help other people the way I helped you.” Al kept that promise for the rest of his life, giving generously to the March of Dimes, the American Heart Association, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, and the Children’s Hospital in Houston for eighty years.

He is survived by his wife Joanie; his children Sally (Fred), Michael (Casimiera), and Jay (Magi); his grandchildren Taylor, Chesley, Jason, Alan, and Rachel; and his great-grandchildren Everett, Violet, Chesley Jr., Ashlyn, Vincent, and Edison. He was preceded in death by his first wife Sandra, his sister Dorothy, and his brother Edwin.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in Al’s memory to any of the charities he supported throughout his life.

A graveside service will take place at 2:00 P.M., on Thursday, May 28, 2026, at Rodfei Shalom, 703 Division Ave, San Antonio, Texas.