About Etta J. Posnick
Etta Jacqueline Shapiro was at different times a beauty queen, caring wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, friend, confidant, critic, and political activist.
Etta had an impact on the lives of all whom she touched. Married to Dr. Jack Posnick for more than forty-five years, she was a grounding force for the family they started together, as it extended and grew, with everyone often in orbit around her. Somehow she always managed to keep it all in order, and did so with grace, aplomb, and love.
She was born on Jan. 5, 1934, in San Francisco. Her father, “Horsetrader Ed” Shapiro, was the most prominent car salesman on the West Coast. He became famous for radio and TV commercials where he dressed as a cowboy, screaming “You want ‘em, I’ve got ‘em.” He was also well known for holding flagpole sitting contests, leading parades down Market Street in San Francisco and criminal activities including tax evasion that landed him in prison.
Etta’s mother, Rubye (Rosenstein) Shapiro, hailed from Cripple Creek Colorado, and came up with the idea for her husband to become a flamboyant cowboy personality in fringed shirts, a large hat and boots. Etta has a sister, Sandie Shapiro, who is married to Helen Lombard.
Etta was a beautiful girl and won the title of Miss Turkey Queen posing on a magazine for poultry farmers. She was also selected as Miss Movie Teen, where she was awarded a trip to Hollywood and met numerous celebrities including Betty Davis and Ronald Reagan.
Etta worked in the Radiology Department of UCSF where she met a handsome young doctor, Jack Posnick. They were married in 1954 and had three children: Sherry, Suzy and Howard, making their home in Burlingame.
Etta was an at-home mother while her children were young, and was an active volunteer with Girl Scouts and their elementary school. Later, she became a political activist for women’s rights and birth control and was a champion of Planned Parenthood, serving on their Board of Directors and founding California Physicians for Choice. She also volunteered at the Samaritan House Medical Clinic in San Mateo and was president of the Auxiliary of the San Mateo County Medical Society. She performed in the Northern California Jewish Women’s Children’s Drama Group and was a member of the Auxiliary Poplar Recare Center and tutored children in reading.
She was the mother and mother-in-law, respectively, of Sheryl and Steve Goodwin of Brisbane, Susan and Ed Luker of Vancouver, WA, and Howard and Joy Posnick of Belmont, CA. She was the beloved grandmother of Nicole and Michelle Goodwin, and Jeffrey and Gregory Luker and adored aunt of Lewis and Lesley Siegel. Etta was a doting grandmother who took her grandkids on outings and helped them construct miniature houses. She was known for her outspoken nature, honesty and great sense of humor.
Etta and her husband, Jack, relocated to San Mateo after their kids were grown. She passed away on April 2, 2001, at the age of 67, three months after being diagnosed with cancer. She did not live long enough to meet any of her great-grandchildren, Ariana and Noah Ibarra and Savannah and Waylon Stahl.