SHAPIRO (Shoffner), Miriam Miriam Shoffner Shapiro died Saturday, October 3 at her home in Centerville following a brief illness. She was 81 years old. Miriam was born on December 27, 1938, in Dayton, Ohio, the daughter of Dr. H. Grady and Rose Rogala Shoffner. She spent her childhood in Miamisburg, making many lifelong friends and graduating from Miamisburg High School in 1956. After earning her Bachelor's Degree in mathematics from Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio, in 1960, she went on to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She was one of very few women in the fledgling field of computer science, earning her Master's degree in 1962. While at UNC, she met William C. Shapiro. They were married on August 3, 1963, and resided in New York City, where their two sons were born. In 1968 they moved around the world to northern Pakistan, where Bill was a supervising civil engineer on the construction of a large dam. She and Bill were at the center of the local expatriate community, hosting raucous parties and traveling with a tight circle of friends. Following Bill's death in 1974, Miriam returned to Miamisburg, where she taught math at Miamisburg Mid High before moving on to a career in the Customer and Support Education division of NCR. After retirement, she continued to work part-time in local public libraries, generously sharing her love of reading and learning. Miriam was an intrepid world traveler, always eager to experience new cultures and cuisines. Pakistan was home base for vacations to many Asian countries and a 1972 trip behind the Iron Curtain to Soviet Russia. In later years she enjoyed traveling throughout Europe, staying with friends in England and family in France. Her 75th birthday safari trip was the fulfillment of a longtime wish to visit Africa. Closer to home, Miriam participated in numerous regular bridge clubs, where her love of card games was matched by her quick wit and sharp sense of humor. She was a voracious reader, a quick solver of the hardest crossword puzzles, and an accomplished pianist. Her many intricate knit and cross-stitched pieces were made with meticulous attention to detail and (almost) endless patience. During the summer, Miriam could often be found at the family cottage at Lakeside on Lake Erie. Long hours on the front porch, evening cruises on the lake, and uproarious family dinners and card games were the highlights of many summer weekends. Miriam was deeply committed to family and friends at home and around the world, keeping in touch and never forgetting a birthday or anniversary. She was especially grateful for the "Muffins," her group of girlfriends who grew up together and stayed connected over the decades. Miriam's father passed away in 1965, her mother in 1992, and her brother Bruce Shoffner in 2016. She is survived by her sons Dan and Derick (Paul Hergenroeder) Shapiro, her grandchildren Isaac and Lia Shapiro, her sisters-in-law Mary Jane Shoffner and Barbara Waleson, and 7 nieces and nephews. Miriam's family will celebrate her life with a gathering on Saturday, October 10th from 2 to 5 pm at Benham's Grove, 166 N Main St in Centerville. Please come to laugh, cry, tell stories and remember this truly remarkable woman. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the American Civil Liberties Union.