Sander Shapiro

Sander ("Sandy") Shapiro was beloved by his family, wonderful friends, a wide circle of community and civic organizations who benefitted from his wisdom and leadership, and a whole generation of Texas lawyers whom he mentored, taught and worked with. Sandy was born in St. Louis in 1929, the youngest of 3. He loved school, and 85 years later, still remembered the names of all his teachers from elementary school through high school. When Sandy's family moved to Houston for his father's new job when he was a sophomore, he stayed in St. Louis with his grandparents to finish high school there. Thereafter, Sandy moved to Houston to join his family and attend Rice University, graduating in 1951. Sandy went to Rice while living at home, and some of his lifelong friends were from his college days. He belonged to a club called the Copians and was active in producing on-campus shows, including a senior production of Bye Bye Blackbird. Word of his writing talent got around, and after graduation, a women's literary society asked him to write a show for them as well. Sandy's sole ambition when he graduated was to go to New York City. He decided to go to law school and a friend told him that Columbia was a law school located there. While attending Columbia, Sandy went to every Broadway show he could, standing in the back for $1 or no cost. After a year of law school at Columbia, Sandy transferred to University of Texas Law School where he graduated in 1954. After graduation, Sandy went with a friend to Europe by ship, using the proceeds of a life insurance policy on which his grandmother had named him as beneficiary. They spent five months in Europe having one adventure after another before they ran out of money and came home. When Sandy was in law school, he had a tax professor who inspired him, so when he got home he wrote to the Internal Revenue Service to apply for a job. He flew to Washington, D.C. for an interview, and while there, met a man (who later became a treasured friend) who discouraged him from going to the IRS and instead encouraged him to apply to the Tax Division of the Department of Justice. Sandy credited this suggestion as the best advice he ever received. In the same summer, Sandy met Lottie, and he says he knew immediately he wanted to marry her. Sandy and Lottie got married three months later and moved to Washington. He worked with very fine, experienced tax lawyers and a bunch of young, enthusiastic newly minted lawyers eager to learn. Sandy then moved to a job on the Tax Court. When they were ready to start a family, Sandy and Lottie moved to Austin, a town Sandy had loved when in law school there, to be closer to their families. Sandy got a job with Clark, Thomas, Harris, Denius and Winters (later Clark, Thomas, Winters and Shapiro), and was the first tax lawyer in Austin. Decades later, he and his closest colleagues left Clark Thomas to form a new firm, Shapiro, Edens and Cook. Sandy's work as a lawyer was both demanding and fun. He worked with outstanding people throughout his career and was dedicated to his clients and colleagues. Sandy's law practice often involved travel throughout Texas and the U.S., and sometimes to far flung locations, including Tahiti and Rome. Notably, he was called upon to argue a case before a Vatican tribunal comprised of two Archbishops and a Cardinal. Sandy was hugely influential in the development of sales tax, use tax and franchise tax law in Texas. In 2015, he was named Outstanding Tax Lawyer and heralded as a "Texas Tax Legend" by the Texas State Bar Tax Section, where he was an active member and frequent speaker. Sandy also served as an adjunct professor at UT Law School for 10 years and in 1984, gave the keynote address at his daughter Julie's Law School graduation. In addition to working as a lawyer, Sandy shared his considerable talent, intellect and leadership skills with many community, legal and civic organizations. He served as Chair of the National Association of State Bar Tax Sections. He was financial Vice President and a Board Member of the Austin Symphony for 25 years, and was very involved with the Ronald McDonald House in Austin (serving as president of the Board in 1994-95 and being honored with the Men With Caring Hearts Award in 2017). He wrote musicals for the Jewish community for theatrical fundraisers for many years that were attended and enjoyed by the whole Austin community and are still fondly remembered as ingenious. He was involved in the Austin Community Foundation at and from its inception, being instrumental in its formation and serving as the Chair of the Board thereafter for several years. Sandy also served as the head of the KLRU Board and chaired Capitol Metro, the University of Texas Press, and the UT College of Fine Arts Advisory Council at various times. He was also a member of the Headliner's Club, the Tuesday Club and Town and Gown for decades. It's not surprising that until not too long ago, their children would say you couldn't go anywhere in Austin without their parents running into someone they knew. Sandy was the epitome of integrity and dignity, and was trusted by all who knew him. He had an uncanny ability to bring people together to find a sensible and just result to any controversy, and to devise creative solutions for intractable problems. He was a valued mentor to many and a gentleman in every way. Sandy loved music and the arts and read extensively. He was an entertaining storyteller and always had something interesting to say. He had a keen interest in other people and a curiosity and fascination with changes in the world around him. Because he was great at so many things, his grandchildren know the answer to the question "You know who's really good at that?" would always be "Grandpa." Sandy loved his family most of all, and his and Lottie's 68 year loving and supportive marriage was an inspiration to their family and friends. In addition to his wife Lottie, Sandy is survived by his daughters Julie (and husband Richard) Schechter, and Susan (and husband Mike) Schmitz; his grandchildren Alyssa (and husband Tylor) Morton, Andrea Schmitz, Monica Schechter (and husband Peter Bailey), and Drew Schmitz; his great-grandchildren Zoe and Myles Morton; his sister-in-law Reva Shapiro and her family; his brother-in-law Gunter Frankel (and wife Danielle) and his family; and many extended family members and friends whom he thought of as family. He was preceded in death by his mother and father, Robert and Bess Shapiro, his brother Shepard Shapiro and his sister and brother-in-law Naomi and David Meyerson. Sandy's family wishes to express their heartfelt gratitude to his longtime caregiver Emerald Wilson, and to Hospice Austin.

Sander Shapiro

September 24, 1929 - February 10, 2024