DONALD SHAW, 1917-2004
Donald Shaw, 87, a retired Blade printer who for nearly 29 years kept vigil after his son was listed as missing in action during the Vietnam War, died Sunday from complications of Alzheimer's disease in the Goerlich Center, where he had been for 2 1/2 years.
Mr. Shaw of West Toledo began as a printer in his native Nova Scotia and worked in Washington; Hamilton, Ohio, and Findlay before settling in Toledo. He was a printer at The Blade more than 20 years, retiring in 1979.
His son, Pfc. Gary Francis Shaw, was last seen Nov. 11, 1967, during a battle in South Vietnam. Mr. Shaw in 1968 was presented with his son's Distinguished Service Cross for heroism and gallantry.
Private Shaw's remains were never found. Mr. Shaw waited and began an often painful quest for answers.
"I'm never going to give up until either he comes home or they send me back his bones," Mr. Shaw told The Blade in 1991. Finally, in 1996, he received a letter from the U.S. Department of Defense declaring, based on new information, that his son had been killed.
Mr. Shaw, beginning in the 1970s, collected used eyeglasses for donation to the Sight Center, which in turn would send the glasses to be fixed for use in the Third World.
Word got around, and "people would leave them on our porch," said his wife, Marjory. "He knew it was helping people." He collected more than 21,500 pairs over the years.
Mr. Shaw also was a drummer in a combo that played weddings and dances. He was religious, and he didn't smoke or drink, family members said.
Mr. Shaw was a World War II veteran of the Canadian Army, as was his first wife, Holly. The marriage ended in divorce. His second wife, Margo, died.
Surviving are his wife, Marjory, whom he married in April, 1975; daughters, Kathleen "Kay" Switzer, Debbie Landis, and Cathy Mowrer; stepdaughter, Beth Scott; seven grandchildren, and seven great-grandchildren.
There will be no visitation. At Mr. Shaw's request, his body was donated to the Medical College of Ohio. Memorial services will be at 11 a.m. Saturday in Our Saviour Lutheran Church.
The family suggests tributes to the Our Saviour Lutheran Church Memorial Fund or the Alzheimer's Association.
© 2004 The Blade - The Toledo Blade Company