Shirley Kauffman of Princeton, an actress and political activist well-known throughout the region – but never happier than in the intimate company of her family and closest friends – died Monday at her home after a two-year battle with cancer. She was 82.

She was a 30-year member and past president of the Princeton Community Democratic Organization. She also served on a number of municipal boards in the borough, until her failing health prevented her from continuing. In October 2006, the PCDO held a "Shirley Kauffman Appreciation Day" in her honor. Hers was a lifelong interest in politics, dating to the Adlai Stevenson presidential campaign and reaching an unusual peak when both she and her husband, active supporters of George McGovern, were named to President Nixon's "Enemies List." She worked on many local, state and national elections, and served on the platform committee during the 1988 Democratic National Convention.

She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Ellwood "Woody" Kauffman of Princeton; her sons, daughter and daughters-in-law, Scott and Nanci Zabatta Kauffman of Palo Alto, Calif.; Geoffrey and Antonella Popoff Kauffman of New York City, Jane Kauffman Barthman of Lake Peekskill, N.Y., and Matthew and Wendy Nelson Kauffman of West Hartford, Conn.; five grandchildren, Stephen, Sarah, David, Sam and James; a brother and sister-in-law, Earl and Florence Rogers of Marina Del Rey, Calif., and many other loving relatives, including three special nieces, Susan Hoffmann of Rockville, Md., Karen Berry of Portland, Ore., and Lynn Lobbert of Santa Rosa, Calif. Her son-in-law, James Barthman, died in 2006.

After graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia, where she met her husband, Mrs. Kauffman studied acting in New York City with the renowned drama coach Stella Adler. She was a standout student, leading Ms. Adler to make a startling suggestion: to get a divorce, so that marriage and a family would not impede Mrs. Kauffman's career. She declined, and went on to raise four children, all of whom were with her in the days before her death.

Instead, Mrs. Kauffman excelled in community theater, performing with a number of companies, including the Princeton Community Players and Summer Intime at Princeton University. Her favorite role was Blanche DuBois in A Streetcar Named Desire, and a press clipping of one of her performances recounts how, at the curtain call, her fellow actors turned and directed their applause to her.

In addition to her civic activities, she spent decades as a volunteer narrator with Recording for the Blind, which provides books-on-tape for visually impaired students. She and her husband also traveled extensively, having visited the Berlin Wall, the Wailing Wall and the Great Wall, and made friends around the world. She was also an avid bridge player, and in recent years greatly enjoyed evenings spent playing Rummikub with her family.

A memorial service and reception will be held today, Wednesday, at 4 p.m. at the Nassau Inn, 10 Palmer Square, Princeton.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, 20 Roszel Road, Princeton, NJ 08540.