Susan Harris Shapiro

Susan Harris Shapiro, age 70, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, surrounded by family. She lived a life rich with laughter, worldly adventures, and quality time spent with her family and friends.

Susan was born on January 31, 1950, in Racine, Wis., the daughter of John Francis and Mary Ann (Mayme) Harris. Her childhood was enriched by a world of make believe, shenanigans with her five siblings, and outdoor play. She attended St Catherine’s High School in Racine, where her strong will got her into occasional trouble with the nuns and her free-spirited nature led her and her best girlfriends to ditch school in favor of outings to places like O’Hare airport and Madison.

Susan received a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. During college, she held a spectrum of jobs that included bartending at the Edgewater Hotel, serving as a page at the State Capitol, and working in retail sales at the Boot Barn. It was these activities that ultimately led her to meet (really, to be courted by) the love of her life, Marshall Shapiro.

Married in 1975, Marshall and Susan built their lives around their daughters, Ragen and Lauren, and their careers as owners of the Nitty Gritty restaurants. During the 41 years that they owned the Nitty Gritty, Susan was the driving force behind many of their business successes, and the matriarch of the Nitty Gritty family. She was a role model and mentor to countless university students whom she inspired with her fortitude, decency, and patience. She led by example: there was no job too small, no chore that was beneath her. She would never ask her employees to do something that she, herself, wasn’t willing to do.

Susan had a heart for others. Her generosity and dedication to giving did not stop with her immediate or Nitty Gritty family. She was generous with both her time and resources and was known for her small random acts of kindness, often involving complete strangers. Among her cherished volunteer activities were working with children at Lincoln and Midvale Schools and her time with the Literacy Network.

Susan was deeply creative and artistic. She had an impeccable sense of style that was admired by all who met her. She was passionate about travel, and relished experiencing new places with her husband, daughters, grandchildren, sisters, and nieces. Whether on the tip of a Himalayan mountain or alongside a Nordic fjord, Susan’s joie de vivre shined through, as did her curiosity and appreciation for other cultures.  

Susan was a dear friend to countless people. However, she was unbelievably shy. Being her friend meant that you had a life-long confidante, co-conspirator, and supporter. Her younger sister, Evelyn, was her best friend and perennial partner in crime. Susan was the Lucy to Evelyn’s Ethel, the Laverne to her Shirley, the Thelma to her Louise. Among their joint ventures was purchasing a cabin in central Wisconsin, which quickly became Susan’s happy place.

Susan was a fun, dedicated, and loving mother who modeled compassion, strength, and grace. Some of her greatest joys included walks with her dogs, friends and family at the dog park, trips around the Capitol Square for the farmer’s market, games of cribbage, coffee dates, shopping in downtown Chicago, and watching the evening news. She was endlessly proud of her two daughters and their spouses. Of all the roles in her life, the one that brought her the most joy and happiness was her role as a silly, devoted, and doting Nana/Gaga.

Susan was preceded in death by her soulmate and husband, Marshall Shapiro, and her sister Donna Harris. She is remembered in the hearts of her daughters, Ragen Shapiro and her husband, Lee Pier, of Madison, and Lauren Shapiro and her husband, Anthony Davies, of Orinda, CA; grandchildren AJ and Meredith Pier, and Anna and Charlie Davies; siblings John (Fran) Harris of Almond, Alana (Ted) Ownby of San Antonio, David (Nancy) Harris of Mequon, and Evelyn (Larry Handler) Harris of Middleton; and countless cousins, nieces, and nephews. In facing illness, as in full health, she taught them about strength, resilience, humor and compassion.

The family wishes to thank her care teams at Stanford Cancer Center and Froedtert Hospital, especially Drs Robert Negrin and Saurabh Chhabra, and the doctors and nurses who cared for her during her final days at the UW Hospital.

A private memorial has been held and a celebration of her life is planned for the summer of 2021. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made in Susan’s memory to Second Harvest Food Bank of Wisconsin (secondharvestmadison.org), Wisconsin Alliance for Infant Mental Health (WI-AIMH, wiaimh.org/donate-1), and Jewish Federation of Madison (jewishmadison.org).