Student Dies After Illness

Leslie Evan Garbon Shapiro '98 died Thursday in his home in West Bloomfield, Michigan. He was 18.

Shapiro, who went by the name Evan, was bound for the Harvard Class of 1998 before learning last July that a rare bone cancer, first diagnosed in October 1992, would be terminal.

Despite his disease, he continued to enjoy his life, family and friends until the end.

"He never thought about death. He just thought about his life," said Lisa Zaks, a friend of Shapiro's and a first-year student at Emory University in Atlanta. "He never wanted people to feel bad for him... He always made everyone feel good about themselves."

A lover of basketball, football, the outdoors and reading. Shapiro was described by close friends and family as an extremely strong, caring person who excelled academically and loved to learn.

"He was fun to watch Jeopardy with and knew all the answers," Zaks said.

Shapiro was known as a star student and campus leader at his high school, Cranbrook Kingswood in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He was elected to the regional board of the B'nai B'rith Youth organization for the Michigan region when he was a sophomore. By his senior year, he was president.

"Even was an involved and committed youth leader," said Miriam R. Foner, associate director of the youth organization for the Michigan region. "Even throughout his illness he was still actively involved in our organization."

Jeffrey N. Gell '97, a Crimson editor who worked on the board with Shapiro, recalled being impressed by his friend's ability to start a 20-team youth basketball league.

"What was incredible about it was that Even likes basketball, but he's not a huge person," Gell said. "He was just so strong a person that he was able to get the respect of people a foot taller and two years older than him."

But it was not only Shapiro's ability to put a team together that made people admire him.

"Even was kind, fair and understanding. He had a keen sense of awareness, and he knew how others were feeling," Foner said. "He was a terrific role model."

During his illness, "he never lost his sense of humor or his sense of caring for his friends and family," she said.

Gell also noted that Shapiro developed a number of close friendships.

"When he got sick, he really found himself in a definite circle of friends," Gell said.

He excelled in math and science, and was a National Merit Scholar. His father, Ray, said he took the Advanced Placement tests in Biology, Chemistry, Latin and Calculus BC, even though he had missed half of his classes between chemotherapy and surgery.

"Genius," said Gell. "The boy was bright. The boy took AP Calculus before I knew what calculus was. Nothing academically seemed to phase him."

Shapiro had looked forward to going to Harvard after his admission last spring, an event that his father called "one of the many bright spots in what could have been two years of horror."

Ray Shapiro said his son committed himself to going to a college such as Harvard, even when events and his health repeatedly threatened to distract him. Even visited the campus.

"He spent the night in the dorms and the day in the classes, knowing that that was his last outing before the series of tests that would precede his bone marrow transplant and then his two- or three- month quarantine," Ray Shapiro said.

"Getting into Harvard," he said, "was a major commitment for him, when he could have just drifted along. He'd go in for his SATs knowing he was going into chemotherapy that afternoon."

One of the most notable aspects of yesterday's funeral service for Ray Shapiro was the reading of the transcript of two tape recordings that Even had made-one for his family and one for his friends.

"He talked to his friends about the memories they had," Zaks said, "that we were always there to support each other and that we should never set limits on ourselves.

"He was fun to watch Jeopardy with and knew all the answers," Zaks said.

Shapiro was known as a star student and campus leader at his high school, Cranbrook Kingswood in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He was elected to the regional board of the B'nai B'rith Youth organization for the Michigan region when he was a sophomore. By his senior year, he was president.

"Even was an involved and committed youth leader," said Miriam R. Foner, associate director of the youth organization for the Michigan region. "Even throughout his illness he was still actively involved in our organization."

Jeffrey N. Gell '97, a Crimson editor who worked on the board with Shapiro, recalled being impressed by his friend's ability to start a 20-team youth basketball league.

"What was incredible about it was that Even likes basketball, but he's not a huge person," Gell said. "He was just so strong a person that he was able to get the respect of people a foot taller and two years older than him."

But it was not only Shapiro's ability to put a team together that made people admire him.

"Even was kind, fair and understanding. He had a keen sense of awareness, and he knew how others were feeling," Foner said. "He was a terrific role model."

During his illness, "he never lost his sense of humor or his sense of caring for his friends and family," she said.

Gell also noted that Shapiro developed a number of close friendships.

"When he got sick, he really found himself in a definite circle of friends," Gell said.

He excelled in math and science, and was a National Merit Scholar. His father, Ray, said he took the Advanced Placement tests in Biology, Chemistry, Latin and Calculus BC, even though he had missed half of his classes between chemotherapy and surgery.

"Genius," said Gell. "The boy was bright. The boy took AP Calculus before I knew what calculus was. Nothing academically seemed to phase him."

Shapiro had looked forward to going to Harvard after his admission last spring, an event that his father called "one of the many bright spots in what could have been two years of horror."

Ray Shapiro said his son committed himself to going to a college such as Harvard, even when events and his health repeatedly threatened to distract him. Even visited the campus.

"He spent the night in the dorms and the day in the classes, knowing that that was his last outing before the series of tests that would precede his bone marrow transplant and then his two- or three- month quarantine," Ray Shapiro said.

"Getting into Harvard," he said, "was a major commitment for him, when he could have just drifted along. He'd go in for his SATs knowing he was going into chemotherapy that afternoon."

One of the most notable aspects of yesterday's funeral service for Ray Shapiro was the reading of the transcript of two tape recordings that Even had made-one for his family and one for his friends.

"He talked to his friends about the memories they had," Zaks said, "that we were always there to support each other and that we should never set limits on ourselves.