Memories of Lenore

When I was growing up my grandmother Pearl was friends with Millie Shaw. Pearl and Millie both played bridge and had a lot of fun with the "girls" they hung around with. Each also had a daughter in the convent---well, sort of. 

My aunt entered the Sisters of St. Joseph after college and stayed there over 50 years, until her death.

Lenore entered the Benedictine community three times--in 1945, but left within a year or so--again in 1948, and left in 1950--and entered for the third and final time in 1978! Most people think the community had to catch up with Lenore, not the other way around. Lenore was a character of the first degree. During the 28 years between her second and third entrances, she taught for a few years in a city public high school--driver's education was her specialty. She would cajole us with story after story of the zany adventures of her friends on the faculty there, as they banded together to cope with the challenges of inner-city teaching in the 60s and 70s. At her large and crowded Irish wake every one of those colleagues (and even some of her former students) came out to pay her tribute and remember their favorite adventure with "Miss Shaw."

Her last ministry was at the Second Harvest Food Bank, which was then administered by one of our sisters who was as much fun as Lenore. They say that working with the two of them was like being part of a comedy routine every day. Her final "job" was as a community driver, about which she'd exclaim, "If I ever doubted I was going to heaven, I don't now. This is my purgatory!" as she'd roll her eyes every day at the peculiarities of doctor's appts. and changing schedules that would send anyone else over the edge. We told her that she was perfect for the job.

Her annual February contribution to community fun was to organize the annual Super Bowl pool--$1.00 a box, with $25 to the winner of each quarter. If you could see into our place this weekend you would view this year's chart: The 19th Annual Lenore Shaw Memorial Super Bowl Pool--that I am proud to organize. Because of  the COVID experience this year we've adapted the pool a little. The four sister-winners this year will get to name a charity of their choice to which we will donate each $25. Seems like a moderation that Lenore would approve of--she was generosity personified.