Mildred Kramer Shapiro, a beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, and a wonderful friend and neighbor, passed away in Baltimore on April 24 at 102. Mildred, the youngest of four children of immigrant parents from Lithuania, grew up in Winchester, Virginia. Her fond childhood memories – which she recounted in great detail even as a centenarian – included participating in her hometown’s Apple Blossom parade, being one of the few families in town to have a telephone, and receiving her driver’s license at the age of 14. She attended the then recently built John Handley High School, to which she returned to for reunions for many decades. To celebrate her 101st birthday, Mildred took some of her children on a tour of Winchester and Handley High, sharing with them her vivid memories of school dances, classmates and teachers, and the old layout of the school building. After graduating from Handley in 1942, Mildred moved to Baltimore. For several years, she alternately lived in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, enjoying the great support of her two devoted older sisters, Bessie and Mary. Initially, she worked at Gamse Lithographing Company during the day and attended Streyer’s Business College at night to learn bookkeeping. A lover of drawing since childhood, Mildred then studied fashion illustration at the Maryland Institute, College of Art (now MICA) for three years. Mildred joined Junior Hadassah of Baltimore, where she met many of her lifelong friends. During the Second World War, Mildred and her friends helped the war effort by knitting gloves (which she joked she wasn’t very good at!), wrapping bandages for the Red Cross, and attending dances for Jewish soldiers. In 1946, Mildred agreed to go on a blind date with Solomon “Sol” Shapiro, who had recently returned from serving in the Pacific Theatre. They talked for over an hour on the phone before their first date, where Mildred joined Sol at a pool party for his army unit. Mildred would often tell the story of their third date, where they went to the beach and Sol treated her to her very first, somewhat terrifying airplane ride. Mildred soon learned that Sol knew how to make simple outings into memorable moments. A year and a half later, Mildred and Sol were married, and they settled in Baltimore. They had four children: Philip, Hinda, David, and Judy. Sol had a large, extended family in Baltimore and Washington, the B’nai Abraham and Yehuda Laib Family Society, which immediately embraced Mildred, and for the ensuing decades she actively participated in the Family Society’s various activities. In addition, Mildred and Sol were active members of the Suburban Orthodox Congregation and the founders of the Tenners Investment Group. They enjoyed socializing with their group of dear friends, affectionately known as “The Gang.” Once her youngest child was in elementary school, Mildred decided to go back to college, taking one or two classes per semester at Towson State College (today, Towson University), until she earned a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations in 1976. Later, Mildred worked as a part-time bookkeeper for the Stutmans, relatives who were glass distributors. When needed, she also assisted Sol, a highly-respected psychologist, in administering psychological tests. After 40 years of strong and enduring partnership, Sol passed away in 1989. This loss was followed two years later by the heartbreaking death of Mildred’s beloved daughter Hinda Ann Gordon, who left behind a husband, Steve Gordon, and their two young sons, AJ and Jeffrey. Over the next several years, Mildred found great solace in helping her son-in-law care for the boys. Mildred also volunteered at the Levindale Gift Shop and began an exciting period of travel. She visited locations near and far with her sister Mary, and made regular trips to see her daughter Judy and family in Israel. Her grandchildren, whom she called her “dollbabies,” loved spending time at her home on Shelburne Road, enjoying her delicious cooking, playing on the soft shag carpet, napping on her comfy living room couch, watching movies and cartoons in the den, and always finding Twizzlers in the kitchen. About a decade after losing Sol, Mildred was introduced to William “Bill” Bashevkin, who was living in Hollywood, Florida. After talking for several months by email and phone, they eventually agreed to meet in person, followed by meeting each other’s children. In 1999, Mildred and Bill were married in Baltimore. They enjoyed 14 years of marriage, splitting their time between Baltimore and Hollywood, going on cruises, and spending Passover in Atlantic City or at the Pearlstone Center. Bill passed away in 2014. Mildred remained very active through her remaining years. She joined a Yiddish club and practiced Tai Chi at the Pikesville Senior Center, providing rides to her classmates who could no longer drive. She also enjoyed reading and was an active member of several book clubs over the years. Mildred would usually begin her day by completing the daily New York Times crossword puzzle while enjoying a cup of coffee. Despite becoming bound to a wheelchair at the age of 99, Mildred did her best to remain actively involved with family and friends, welcoming many visitors to her apartment on Park Heights Avenue. She became an avid Netflix user, making her way through every season of Grey’s Anatomy and rewatching Gilmore Girls several times. She made three special visits up to her son David’s vacation home in Maine with her beloved caregiver Charlotte. There, she enjoyed time on the lake, played poker on the porch, and taught her son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughters how to make blintzes. On March 8, 2026, more than 50 guests attended an open house at Mildred’s apartment to celebrate her 102nd birthday, during which she gave a beautiful, appreciative speech, reflecting on reaching such an incredible age.