Feb 23, 1930 -Dec 8, 2025

Naomi Fay Shiff was born in Toronto to Teresa and Samuel Strauss, the eldest of three daughters.

Always recognized for her sharp intelligence ,she completed high school two years early and  graduated from the University of Toronto. Early adulthood took her from Toronto to New York, Dallas, and San Francisco before she settled in Seattle in 1972.

Naomi married Murray Shiffin 1950. They  built a warm, musical, and lively home together and were at their happiest in each other's company. Their partnership shaped every chapter of her life until Murray's death in 2006.

Naomi's love of  books took root early and grew into a lifelong passion for sharing children's literature. She volunteered in her children's school libraries in New  York and later at Stevens School in Seattle. Her Capitol Hill home became famous for its "magic basement," a lovingly and discerningly curated trove of children's books and toys gathered through decades of weekend yard sales.

Many young visitors found books they would remember for years because she placed the right one in their hands. She also taught piano to countless children and gave generously of her time.

In 1968 Naomi stepped into  the emerging field of computer programming, where she naturally excelled. She trained at a time when few women entered the profession and soon joined Metropolitan Life, becoming known for programs that ran cleanly and for her ability to fix the bugs her colleagues could not. Her intelligence could not be overstated.

She was meticulous, practical to  a fault, and organized in away that made complex tasks look simple.

Music, art, and learning shaped the rhythm of her life. She played recorder with devotion, attended  music workshops, and together with her husband Murray ,served on the board of the Seattle Early Music Guild in its early years, and then as its president. For decades, she was an active supporter of the Seattle Recorder Society.

Naomi's greatest passion was playing Renaissance music from original (old) notation. The challenges of playing from original notation included dealing with different note shapes and rhythms, and reading F, C, and Gclefs located on different bar lines.

She was an avid gardener who nurtured an extraordinary collection of plants and took particular pride in her host as and trillium.

Community mattered deeply to her. She was  a central figure on the 1200 block of 17th Avenue East on Capitol Hill, where she knew every neighbor and kept a directory for years. Friends depended on her warmth, generosity, and uncanny memory for detail.

Naomi was always aware of the world around her. She stayed fully up to date on current events, reading newspapers and The New Yorker with the same intensity she brought to everything else. She kept track of new music, films, and television and always had a thoughtful recommendation ready.

Naomi's mind remained sharp throughout her life. She completed nearly every New York Times puzzle, with a particular devotion to the acrostic, and kept a weekly "puzzler ring" of fellow solvers.

Many were invited; only a few kept pace. In the final chapter of her life, she chose death with dignity, a decision that reflected her lifelong clarity ,independence, and practicality.

In keeping with  her love of learning, she had her remarkable brain donated to the University of Washington Brain Study.

Naomi is survived by her  daughter Aviva (Karl) Boedecker and her son Jonathan (Charles) Shiff; granddaughters Karen (Casey), Robin (Vito); and great granddaughter Miriam; sisters Sheila Kahan and Ronda Larmour; and a wide circle of cherished friends.

In accordance with her wishes, there will be no memorial service.

Contributions in her memory  may be made to: Early Music Seattle P.O. Box 25893 Seattle, WA 98165 Seattle Recorder Society 4554 4th Ave NE Seattle, WA, 98105 Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. P.O. Box 97166 Washington, DC 20090-7166 Or to the charity of your choice.