Ann Morrisroe Shenkin
1945 - 2022
BORN
1945
DIED
2022
Ann Morrisroe Shenkin
September 1, 1945 - January 15, 2022
Ann was born in Berkeley, the first daughter and second child of Barbara Lane and John Morrisroe, both originally of New York. John came from Hell's Kitchen and was educated as a chemical engineer at Columbia, thanks to a Pulitzer Newsboy's scholarship. Not long after her birth, the family moved to Southern California when her father founded his chemical engineering firm, Pilot Chemical Company. Ann was raised in San Marino and attended San Marino High, where she was miserable. According to her school counselor, this was because she was the smartest girl in the class. When she went to Cal, however, she thrived, majored in English, graduated and got a job as editorial assistant at Harcourt-Brace, and managed to pass on Primal Scream.
She married Cal classmate Bruce Buckelew, settled down in the East Bay, and had a daughter and a son, whom she loved as deeply as any mother loved her children. As happened to many marriages during the 1970's, it ended in divorce. Her second husband was Budd Shenkin, to whom she was married over 40 years. They had a son, whom she loved deeply as well. Ann successfully went back to work, becoming executive assistant to the Chancellor at UCSF, where she was trusted with sensitive relationships that led to strong expansion of the campus. She then returned to school, excelling at University of San Francisco School of Law. She pursued a career in family law for seven years, and then decided that she would be happier with a job closer to her passion in life, which was books. She worked happily as an associate at Avenue Books on College Avenue in Berkeley for many years. She devoured several books a week, primarily fiction, but also true crime. She was a loyal contributor to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, various liberal candidates, the University of California Goldman School of Public Policy, the Alameda County Food Bank, and the University of California, San Francisco Adolescent Medicine/Eating Disorders Program.
Ann also became an avid traveler, visiting five continents with her husband Budd, often on cruises. She spent much vacation time, especially in later years, at their vacation home in Maui. Then, after a long illness, in the same house where she had lived for almost 50 years in the Claremont district of Berkeley, surrounded by her family, she died peacefully.
Ann is survived by her husband Budd Shenkin; her daughter Sara Buckelew (Eric Bottino); her son Brian Buckelew (Talia); her son Peter Shenkin; her grand-daughter Lola Buckelew-Bottino and a grandson on the way (Lane Buckelew due in May 2022-who she would have loved dearly and spoiled greatly), her stepsons Alexander and Nicholas Shenkin and their families, her sister Nancy Lynn; her brother Paul Morrisroe, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, Ann's family would be very grateful for donations in Ann's memory to the UCSF Shenkin Family Fund for Humanistic Medicine, online at makeagift.ucsf.edu, designating the gift in memory of Ann Shenkin. Or checks can be sent to Attn: Allison Mitchell, UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339, writing in the memo line "Shenkin Family Fund for Humanistic Medicine." Memorial service arrangements are pending.
September 1, 1945 - January 15, 2022
Ann was born in Berkeley, the first daughter and second child of Barbara Lane and John Morrisroe, both originally of New York. John came from Hell's Kitchen and was educated as a chemical engineer at Columbia, thanks to a Pulitzer Newsboy's scholarship. Not long after her birth, the family moved to Southern California when her father founded his chemical engineering firm, Pilot Chemical Company. Ann was raised in San Marino and attended San Marino High, where she was miserable. According to her school counselor, this was because she was the smartest girl in the class. When she went to Cal, however, she thrived, majored in English, graduated and got a job as editorial assistant at Harcourt-Brace, and managed to pass on Primal Scream.
She married Cal classmate Bruce Buckelew, settled down in the East Bay, and had a daughter and a son, whom she loved as deeply as any mother loved her children. As happened to many marriages during the 1970's, it ended in divorce. Her second husband was Budd Shenkin, to whom she was married over 40 years. They had a son, whom she loved deeply as well. Ann successfully went back to work, becoming executive assistant to the Chancellor at UCSF, where she was trusted with sensitive relationships that led to strong expansion of the campus. She then returned to school, excelling at University of San Francisco School of Law. She pursued a career in family law for seven years, and then decided that she would be happier with a job closer to her passion in life, which was books. She worked happily as an associate at Avenue Books on College Avenue in Berkeley for many years. She devoured several books a week, primarily fiction, but also true crime. She was a loyal contributor to Planned Parenthood, the ACLU, various liberal candidates, the University of California Goldman School of Public Policy, the Alameda County Food Bank, and the University of California, San Francisco Adolescent Medicine/Eating Disorders Program.
Ann also became an avid traveler, visiting five continents with her husband Budd, often on cruises. She spent much vacation time, especially in later years, at their vacation home in Maui. Then, after a long illness, in the same house where she had lived for almost 50 years in the Claremont district of Berkeley, surrounded by her family, she died peacefully.
Ann is survived by her husband Budd Shenkin; her daughter Sara Buckelew (Eric Bottino); her son Brian Buckelew (Talia); her son Peter Shenkin; her grand-daughter Lola Buckelew-Bottino and a grandson on the way (Lane Buckelew due in May 2022-who she would have loved dearly and spoiled greatly), her stepsons Alexander and Nicholas Shenkin and their families, her sister Nancy Lynn; her brother Paul Morrisroe, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, Ann's family would be very grateful for donations in Ann's memory to the UCSF Shenkin Family Fund for Humanistic Medicine, online at makeagift.ucsf.edu, designating the gift in memory of Ann Shenkin. Or checks can be sent to Attn: Allison Mitchell, UCSF Foundation, PO Box 45339, San Francisco, CA 94145-0339, writing in the memo line "Shenkin Family Fund for Humanistic Medicine." Memorial service arrangements are pending.
Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Jan. 21 to Jan. 24, 2022.
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