Janice Elaine Shapiro

September 8, 1950 - August 30, 2018

Janice Elaine Shapiro, age 67, passed away peacefully in the arms of her devoted husband at her home in San Francisco on the morning of August 30 after nearly four years of living with cancer. She was a fiercely loving mother and wife, a devoted friend to many, an incomparable host, and a dedicated psychotherapist. Born September 8, 1950 in Philadelphia, PA to Esther Mirow Shapiro and William Shapiro, Jan was a graduate of North- east High School, Temple University, and Georgetown University. She moved to San Francisco in 1978 and worked as a nurse-midwife at San Francisco General Hospital. After her move to California, she pursued her lifelong dream of earning a doctorate in psychology and creating a successful private psychotherapy practice in Noe Valley, which grew and thrived for over 30 years. Janice loved what she did and did what she loved. She had a singular ability to connect with people, especially over food; she knew her butchers and grocers by first name and loved to entertain friends, which she did often with wit, humor, and elegance. She dressed impeccably with style and comfort in mind. Jan was an integral member of the Rhythm and Motion community at the Oberlin Dance Collective (ODC) and attended classes six days a week for over 35 years. She took great pleasure in both singing and dancing and did so with joy and abandon throughout her life. She traveled the world with an irrepressible curiosity and an unforgettable smile, living according to a simple philosophy: “I wake up wondering who I can help today.” She is survived by her husband, Dennis Biroscak; her son, Jesse; daughter-in-law, Maggie; and granddaughter, Mila; her son, Samuel and his fiancé, Gina Dyches; her sister, Faye Rita DiGiovanni; brother-in-law, Carmen DiGiovanni; Jill DiGiovanni (niece) and her family: Jason, Genevieve, and Graham Goldschmidt; and Laura DiGiovanni (niece) and her family: Mike and Ferris DeBella. A celebration of Janice’s life will be held at ODC Dance Commons at 351 Shotwell St. on November 11, 2018 from 5-7 P.M. Donations can be made in Janice’s honor though ODC/ Rhythm & Motion at odc. dance/donate-now. Please make sure to indicate the “Janice Shapiro Fund” in the Notes section. This fund, the Janice E. Shapiro Healing Dance Fund, will allow others in Janice’s dance community who are fighting illness to take Rhythm & Motion dance classes for free.