Lottie Frankel Shapiro

Lottie was known to all who knew her for her infectious laugh, her loving, creative and empathetic nature, her clear-eyed, intelligent and practical view of the world, her sincere interest in other people and her wonderful non-judgmental advice. She was an impeccable host who made sure anyone who came to her home was enveloped in warmth and appreciated for who they were, and was always a loyal and treasured friend. Lottie was born August 9, 1934 in Frankfurt, Germany. After a suspenseful escape from Germany when she was a year old, she and her family emigrated to the U.S. in 1936. Lottie grew up in Houston but went away to college at the University of Colorado because she loved snow. There, although she previously aspired to be a writer, she fell in love with Chemistry and decided to major in Chemistry with minors in Philosophy and Math. During a school break, back in Houston, she met her husband, Sander ("Sandy") Shapiro. After a whirlwind and very romantic three month courtship, they married in 1955 and moved to Washington, D.C., where Lottie completed her Bachelor's degree in Math at American University. In Washington, Lottie worked part time for the Bureau of Standards Thermodynamics Department while she finished her degree in Math at American University. She then moved to her dream job at the Naval Research Lab writing software for some of the earliest and fastest computers of that time. Lottie's group's project was calculating atmospheric drag for the Vanguard rocket, which was designed to be the first vehicle to place a satellite in orbit. Lottie and Sandy loved living and working in Washington, truly enjoying the adventure of their exciting jobs and new life together. In addition to her many happy memories of her time with Sandy there as a newlywed, Lottie also loved having lunch every day with her physicist colleagues at a local Mexican restaurant. Lottie, the only woman on staff at both of her jobs, was well accepted and respected for her impressive and unique capabilities. In 1958, Lottie and Sandy decided to start a family and moved to Austin where their daughters, Julie and Susan were born. Lottie and Sandy's lifelong love story, and their marriage of 68 years, was an inspiration to all. In addition to their mutually supportive and loving relationship, Lottie and Sandy have always had a multitude of friends. Their daughters confirm that you couldn't go anywhere in Austin without running into someone they knew well. Lottie and Sandy also "adopted" many members of their extended family and family of friends who attended U.T., many of whom are now in their 60s but still consider Lottie and Sandy to be their "Austin parents". In addition to raising her family, Lottie continued her lifelong passion for learning. She attended a Women In Science program and worked towards a Masters in Computer Science, writing an "expert system" that was designed to diagnose fevers of unknown origin. She also took numerous writing and literature classes and enjoyed her writing group. Lottie was a valued member of her book club for over 25 years, as well as Toastmasters, Tuesday Club and the Women's Symphony League. Lottie was a wonderful daughter, wife and Mom, and later a terrific mother-in-law, Grandma and GG (great-grandma) who was proud of and grateful for her family and encouraged all of those in her orbit to love liberally and strive to reach their potential. True to her lifelong character, Lottie approached her terminal illness with grace, practicality and curiosity. She continued to take Pilates religiously until two weeks before she died. She also completed a Lifetime Learning Ted Talk discussion group course in late October where she enjoyed meeting new people and hearing about topics of wide-ranging interest. Lottie was beloved by her many friends and family members, and continued to get together with them regularly through the end of her life. Lottie is survived by her daughters Julie (and husband Richard) Schechter, and Susan (and husband Mike) Schmitz; her grandchildren Alyssa (and husband Tylor) Morton, Monica Schechter (and husband Peter Bailey), Andrea Schmitz (and fiancé Adrian Kwiatkowski) and Drew Schmitz; her great-grandchildren Zoe and Myles Morton; her brother Gunter Frankel and his family, and her sister-in-law Reva Shapiro and her family. She was preceded in death by Sandy, her husband of 68 years, as well as her mother and father, Irma and Abraham Frankel, her brother-in-law Shepard Shapiro and her sister-in-law and brother-in-law Naomi and David Meyerson. The family would also like to recognize and thank Emerald Wilson, the longtime and beloved caregiver to both Lottie and Sandy, and Hospice Austin-in particular Dr. Johnson Wu, Grace Golden, Janie Smith and Michelle Guillot-all of whom provided Lottie with great care and comfort throughout her long illness. Lottie will be missed by all who knew her, but we know her beautiful spirit will always be with us, that her outstanding example will continue to guide us, and that she'll be cheering for us always.

Lottie Frankel Shapiro

August 9, 1934 - November 11, 2024