Joanne Shanfield Bookston 1930-2024

Joanne Shanfield Bookston passed away peacefully at age 93 with her two sons and daughter-in-law at her bedside. She lived a full life filled with vibrancy and family.

She was born in Czortkow, Poland (now Ukraine) on July 29, 1930, to parents Solomon and Sarah Bergman. She had an older sister, Rifka. She lived an idyllic life, which ended abruptly when, as a young girl, the Germans invaded Poland and forced her and her family and thousands of Jews into a ghetto. In the summer of 1942, Jews were rounded up, and the ghetto was liquidated. Thousands were placed in trucks and trains, and during the ensuing chaos, Joanne was separated from her mother and sister, who were loaded into trucks and shot in the nearby forest. During the confusion, Joanne first ran and then tried to return to Czortkow but was stopped by a Nazi officer and soldiers and told to run the other way. Joanne would describe it as a “murderer’s whim” that saved her life.

Her father, who survived the initial roundup, lived long enough to spirit her away to a Catholic family, who took Joanne in at great risk to themselves, as helping Jews often carried a death sentence. Her father’s last words to her were: “Survive and raise a family and tell the world what happened here.”

An uncle and aunt escaped the roundup and eventually found Joanne, taking her to Bucharest, Romania, and found refuge with two cousins who had fled before the German invasion. They lived in hiding until 1944, when the Russians invaded Romania and, after escaping to Prague, were picked up by American troops and sent to a “displaced persons camp” in Paris.

Joanne tried to immigrate to the United States, but obtaining a visa was difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. After three years in France and Sweden, she immigrated to Canada. A striking, beautiful photo of Joanne appeared on the front page of the Toronto Daily Star in October 1948, detailing her harrowing escape. In 1950, she met and married Henry Shanfield, who earned a PhD in chemical engineering after his service in the war. In 1956, the family moved to California, and they ultimately settled in Orange County in 1959.

They had two sons, Stewart and Stan, who were raised in Tustin and lived a very “American” life, which was such a joy for both of their parents. Joanne had many close friends in her neighborhood, and they belonged to Temple Beth Shalom in Orange for many years. She also taught at the pre-school there. Her promise to her father to survive and raise a family was met, and when her marriage ended, she was on her own for the first time in her life, and she thrived. 

Several years after Joanne and Henry divorced, she married Jack Bookston, an engineer/mathematician who had helped discover the jet stream while serving in the South Pacific during WWII. The Bookstons and Shanfields joined together, melding into a loving family. Lots of kids and family events helped heal the wounds of having almost no living relatives. She and Jack spent much time with his family and helped raise his grandchildren. They traveled and enjoyed his retirement and enjoyed watching their families grow. 

Joanne rarely spoke of her childhood, leaving her sons to piece together snippets of information to understand the full story of her survival and bravery. She preferred to live in the moment and create memories with the family she miraculously built after her own was taken away. However, the determination and grit that allowed her to come through those years were apparent to her children daily: chores and schoolwork were completed. First, academic success was a priority, and hard work, honesty, and integrity were expected. She had to rely on her sons to “interpret” the America she now made home. Things like Little League and Boy Scouts were foreign to her, and she marveled at the world her sons and, later, her grandchildren navigated so easily. However, like all parents, she wanted her sons to be successful and self-sufficient above all else. 

Joanne was known for her incredible cooking, impeccable fashion sense, and ability to hold and rub the hand of anyone she was in conversation with. She traveled the world, visiting Israel, Europe, China, South America, and Mexico. She loved the stark beauty of the desert and the bountiful plum trees in her backyard. She was extremely well-read and made it a point to remain knowledgeable about world events and history.

Joanne loved cultivating flowers and plants and adored children. For several years, she was a pre-school teacher at the local synagogue. Called “Baba” (Russian for grandmother) by her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, her matzoh ball soup, chocolate cake, and wonderful roasted chicken were frequent staples at the weekly Sunday night family dinner. She had many friendships, and her commitment to learning characterized her life.

Joanne moved to Fullerton Morningside to be closer to her son and family in Fullerton. She was able to make many friends there, and she was a part of that loving and caring community until her death. She kept the staff on their toes, and they were very fond of her. Most were not aware of her history and were only made aware as she became less cognitively aware and suffered dreams and flashbacks of the war. The scars of trauma and war do not go away, even after a life well lived. 

The Holocaust legacy helped shape but certainly not define Joanne. Her legacy is one of courage, determination, survival, bravery, and being the loving matriarch of her family whose final revenge on the Nazis was ensuring multiple generations of love and success. She was able to abide by her father’s wish for her to survive, have a family, and tell what happened during the war. This will now be her legacy; it is an important story to tell, especially during these times. 

She is survived by her two sons, Dr. Stewart Shanfield (Kathleen) and Stanley Shanfield, PhD (Sue); her grandchildren: David Bookston (Samantha), Matthew Shanfield (Natalie), Sarah Shanfield, Rebecca Shanfield, Melissa Shanfield (Paul), Cindy (Bijan), and Laura (Jamie); and her great-grandchildren: Elizabeth, Rebecca, Robert, Claire, Emma, Wyatt, Sierra and Jessa. She is preceded in death by her first husband, Henry, husband Jack Bookston, stepson John Bookston, and grandsons Steven Shanfield and Robert Bookston.

“Beauty remains, even in misfortune,” Anne Frank.

Joanne’s beauty of spirit lives on in all of our minds and hearts. She is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and its ability to find solace and hope in the small moments of beauty that endure even in the face of tragedy.

Joanne’s family requests in lieu of flowers, a donation can be made to the United States Holocaust Museum.