Billy Joe "Bill" Shaw
SHERMAN - Billy Joe "Bill" Shaw of Sherman, 78 year-old retired fireman, went to be with the Lord in his sleep Tuesday morning, June 3, 2008. Services will be 11 a.m. Friday, June 6, 2008 at the Calvary Baptist Church. Bill's brother, Rev. T. M. Shaw of Simms, and Rev. Kevin George of the church will officiate. The graveside will be 11 a.m. Saturday, June 7, 2008 at Duckett Cemetery east of Wickes, Ark. Arrangements are under the direction of Waldo Funeral Home.
Billy Joe Shaw was born during the Depression on a farm near Dorchester. He was the son of a sharecropper with eight brothers and six sisters. He learned to work in the fields at a very early age and could honestly say he knew what it was like to hand pick cotton from daylight to dark, even with one arm broken. In his late teens his family moved to another farm in Arkansas where he met Sue Roberts ,his bride to be and spouse for nearly 60 years.
Determined to make good in life they struck out for California with an older sister and brother-in-law and their firstborn, Billy G. Shaw. Times turned out to be not so golden in California and they returned to Sherman, where Bill worked several jobs before landing on fire fighting as his life's profession. He spent seven years in the Sherman Fire Department before moving to Corpus Christi. There he and Sue raised the three boys, Billy, Eddie, and Michael. He worked at every position from tailboard man to captain, finally retiring as the assistant fire chief of Corpus Christi in 1985. He career was cut short because of a back injury that the doctors never could correct.
He and Sue moved to Arkansas hoping to retire in the country where they grew up together, but it proved to be too far from the family and they returned to Sherman in 1995 to begin a second retirement on a small farm. Dad loved gardening, but loved sharing the produce more than the growing. Dad also loved fishing and hunting probably more than anything. Every winter he looked forward to quail hunting with his brothers and pheasant hunting with the family. He was never short of a story to tell, but never get him started on politics. Bill never knew a stranger and was a patriarch for many.
Although he dearly loved his kids, grand kids and great-grand kids, most anyone could be easily adopted into the family. Most importantly, Bill loved the Lord and he loved life. He rarely missed church, except for travel, and could always be counted on to exercise his gifts administration and helping others. He knew suffering in life, having lost his son, SOC 5 Eddie Shaw while in the Army preparing for service in Vietnam, and by seeing the passing of many of his brothers and sisters.
He is survived by his wife, Laura Sue Shaw of Sherman; sons, Billy G. Shaw and his wife Sharon of Sherman and Michael Shaw and his wife Shelly of Arlington; brothers, Rev. T. M. Shaw and his wife Bernice of Simms, and Dan Shaw and his wife Joan of Bells; sisters, Ouita Branham and her husband Raymond of Sherman, Neva Watwood of Clifton, and Naomi McMullen of Dallas; grandchildren, Sara Ann Lindsey, Billy Joe Rodgers, Tara Rae Shaw, Jarod Michael Shaw and Audra Lynn Shaw; also great-grandchildren, Michael Shawn Lindsey, Madison Kay Lindsey, Jaclyn Kay Rodgers, twins Luke and Logan Rodgers and Landen Rodgers, Lauren Jade Shaw and Lil Bit.
He was preceded in death by his son, SPC 5th Class U.S. Army Eddie Joe Shaw in 1970.
Pallbearers for the service in Sherman will be Charlie Hines, Joe Fitzsimmons, Doyle Barton, Cecil Cordell, Bob Graves and Steve Davis. Pallbearers for the graveside service in Arkansas will be Jarod Shaw, Mike Lindsey, Cameron Kinney, Kenny Robinson, Tommy Shaw and John Roberts.
The family will receive friends from 6 -8 p.m. Thursday at Waldo Funeral Home.
The online guest register can be signed at www.waldofuneralhome.com.
Published in The Herald Democrat from 6/5/2008 - 6/6/2008.