Obituary

ROBERT A. SHAW

Born July 22, 1941 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, to Allen Shaw and Margaret Wilson Shaw.

Died February 6, 2016, at home.

Preceded in death by both parents and his brother, Richard.

SURVIVORS:

Love of his life, his wife, Jennifer Shaw, of Litchfield Park, AZ

Sons:    Brenden Shaw (Brooke) of Edmond, OK

Dr. Jason Shaw (Jennifer) of San Antonio, TX

Daughter: Kristina Pasquini (Shawn) of Goodyear, AZ

5 granddaughters: Sarah, Kayla, Amanda, Ashley, and Ruby.

Two special friends, Tiki and Tigger.

EDUCATION:      Graduated high school in Grand Junction, CO

Earned BA and MA degrees from Arizona State University

Earned Ph.D. from Columbia University

Our loving husband, father, and friend, Robert Shaw, was transported home, into the loving arms of God on Saturday, February 6, 2016. In addition to being an all-around wonderful person, Robert was a professional educator who worked tirelessly for over 53 years to improve the academic and life skills of all school students and staff he encountered.  He was a highly qualified consultant on school law, school finance and special education law, and had an extensive record of federal and state granting and program development.

He began his career as Director of Education and Training at Arizona Childrens’ Colony in Coolidge. Robert held several positions as Director of Special Education in Arizona and in Colorado.  He developed and served as Executive Director of the Maricopa Special Services Consortium of 14 districts, and the Pinal County Special Services Consortium of 15 districts.

He served as Administrative Assistant to the Yavapai County Superintendent, and developed several special education programs during his time there. He also worked as a Speech/Hearing/Language pathologist in Yavapai County and Maricopa County for several years.  Additionally, he was a business owner and realtor in Prescott for more than ten years.

The last fifteen years of his career were spent providing speech, language, and hearing services to the Gila Crossing Schools in Laveen, AZ. He retired on September 11, 2015.

He loved flying his Cessna 170B (Chuck), fishing, especially his trips to Alaska, traveling with his wife, reading and working in his orchard and greenhouse, and spoiling his cats, Tiki and Tigger.

Robert will forever be remembered by those who know him as a kind, thoughtful and compassionate man. His students and professional contacts will remember “Dr. Bob” as a knowledgeable, articulate, energetic, child-oriented educator who always went the extra mile to make sure every student received all services available to ensure them the best educational outcome possible.

His absence has created a huge void in our lives that can never be filled. We miss his smile his touch, his love, and even his corny jokes.

A memorial service and celebration of his life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, February 13, 2016, at Thompson Funeral Chapel, 926 s. Litchfield Road, Goodyear, AZ.