The Funeral of Comrade Jack
On 1 February 2010 the funeral of Comrade Jack Shapiro was ably and sensitively conducted by his dear granddaughter Genia. There were moving addresses by his three beloved daughters, Rosalind, Susan and Doreen. His colleagues from the RNID and Tinnitus Association paid tribute to his indefatigable work, his response to his own deafness.
Tribute to his life as a revolutionary and champion of socialism was paid by representatives of the Chinese and Korean embassies, with a message from the Cuban embassy, whose representative was unable to change previous commitments at short notice. Ella Rule read a very moving poem that she had written for the occasion in recognition of Jack’s life’s work.
It was Jack’s dearest wish that Harpal Brar, Chairman of the Communist Party of Great Britain (Marxist Leninist), should speak at his funeral. Harpal praised the Shapiro family tradition of supporting the cause of proletarian revolution and the advance of humanity towards a free and just society. He paid tribute to Jack and also to his wife Marie, and his brother Michael who in China and Korea gave such unstinting support to their liberation struggles and the building of socialism.
The attendance was so great, with many members of the CPGB-ML there, that several had to stand. In accordance with Jack’s wish, and most appropriately, his funeral concluded with the singing of the Internationale.