Shirley K. Richfield

Shirley K. Richfield March 31, 1920 March 27, 2012 SCARBOROUGH - Shirley K. Richfield, 91, of Piper Road, died on Tuesday, March 27, 2012 at her home at Piper Shores. Shirley was born Sarah Kaplan in Cincinnati, Ohio, the daughter of the late Samuel and Anna (Yaegerman) Kaplan, and was the wife of the late Dr. Daniel F. Richfield. The child of Russian and Romanian immigrants in an Orthodox Jewish household in Cincinnati, she was the second of three daughters. Although staunchly secular in later life she retained a connection to her Jewish identity. Shirley married Daniel F. Richfield in June of 1941, and he was the love of her life for more than 65 years until his death in 2006. She was one of the few women in her graduating class from the University of Cincinnati in 1942, where she received a bachelor's degree in chemistry. She worked as a chemist doing food testing for the Kroger grocery company during World War II, and thereafter worked as a homemaker raising her three children. She was very involved throughout her life in Cincinnati in the arts, the University and local politics. Shirley and Dan moved to Maine in 2001 and they were among the first residents of the Piper Shores community. They loved their life in Maine and Shirley enjoyed participating in a number of reading and study groups and helped to found the investment club at Piper Shores. She was deeply devoted to and involved in the lives of her grandchildren and in recent years had taken joy in visits from her new great-grandchildren. Throughout her life in Cincinnati and in Maine Shirley was a great patron of the arts and cultural events and institutions. She was known for her sharp wit and assertive personality and was never afraid to share her strong and passionate opinions. She is survived by her sister Beatrice Heller of San Diego, CA; daughter Susan Hyatt and her partner Paul Pevsner of New York City; son Robert Richfield and his wife Helen of West Newton, MA; daughter Leslie Richfield and her husband Scott Horton of Portland, Maine; as well as seven grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. In addition to her parents and husband she was also predeceased by her sister Rita Cohen. Memorial services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be sent to Jewish Family Services, 57 Ashmont Street, Portland, ME 04103. To view this obituary online or to leave a note in the online guestbook, please go to www.athutchins.com.

Shirley K. Richfield

March 31, 1920 - March 27, 2012

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