Obituary of George Charles Ferguson Shaw

George Shaw, 88, passed away peacefully at his home in Halifax on June 18, 2014, surrounded by family and friends. Born in Winnipeg, he was the son of the late William and Mabel Shaw. He is survived by daughters Andrea, Toronto; Cathy (Michael Redmond) and son Matthew (Leila), of Halifax; grandchildren Christina Redmond, Julia Redmond, Phoebe Robinson-Shaw and Wyatt Shaw; and several nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his wife, Christina (MacKeen), and four sisters: Doreen Britton, Gertrude MacNeill, Audrey Cooper, and Joyce Corke. George had a long, interesting life. He grew up in Winnipeg in the 1930s and served in the Royal Canadian Airforce during the Second World War, just missing a deployment overseas. He then put himself through the University of British Columbia and graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1950. In 1955, he was sent by his employer to the Centre d’études industrielles in Geneva, Switzerland, to take a Masters of Business Administration. George worked for many years as an engineer and management consultant, and was a member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Nova Scotia. His positions included working for Alcan in Montreal and Toronto and later with Stevenson and Kellogg, managing projects such as the construction of Pockwock water reservoir in Halifax. He also took on a number of business interests and in his later years, real estate. In his spare time, he was an enthusiastic amateur industrial designer and inventor – among other things pondering the question of making a more efficient lobster trap. George switched his allegiance to the east coast in the mid-1950s when he met his wife, Christina, and by the 1990s no longer felt like a “come-from-away.” He believed in Nova Scotia’s potential and performed many volunteer and community leadership roles, including for the Canadian Cancer Society and the United Way. He was on the board of the Halifax Assistance Fund for several decades, helping raise money for low income families, and was a staunch supporter of the democratic process as a longtime member of the Progressive Conservative Party. He liked the outdoors and contributed to a number of sport organizations. In the 1970’s he was one of a group of skiers who helped create the early infrastructure for what is now Ski Wentworth. He was a keen sailor and longtime member of the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, serving on the board and helping develop the junior sailing program. He also sat on the board of the Nova Scotia Sailing Association. He enjoyed playing the game of golf for many years, mainly at Ashburn. In his later years, George took up a variety of fitness activities. For a few years he raised the average age at Dalplex, where he was an avid senior swimmer. He also could be found out walking near his house with Nordic poles and even in recent months he put in an impressive performance on the reformer machines at his physio appointments. George had a lifelong interest in sketching and figure drawing which led him to take up watercolour painting in his later years, under the direction of instructor Andrea Johnson. He was particularly good at interpreting the sky over a foggy hill or water and his annual Christmas card was cherished by anyone who received it. George was extremely proud of his three children and four grandchildren and encouraged everyone to take advantage of opportunities that come their way with education, jobs, or family. He recognized that nothing comes easy and a little hard work goes a long way: “You’ll never learn younger.” He also kept in close touch with his west coast relatives and in particular his beloved nephew Bill Cooper. George had a genuine interest in getting to know all kinds of people throughout his life, and as a result he had many cherished friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. He very much appreciated the support, assistance and humour of his team of dedicated caregivers until the very end. On George’s behalf, our family would like to thank them and his devoted fitness trainers, physiotherapists, osteopaths, nurses, and family physician, along with his case management team at the Department of Veterans' Affairs, for their yeoman efforts, and great kindness, to assure him the best possible quality of life. George’s home church was the Presbyterian Church of St. David, which is currently undergoing renovations. As a result, his memorial service will be held at First Baptist Church, 1300 Oxford Street, Halifax, on Wednesday, June 25th, at 3 p.m. Reverend Kenn Stright of St. David’s will officiate. In lieu of visiting, family members will be available in the church hall after the service. Donations in George’s memory may be provided to the Victorian Order of Nurses of Greater Halifax. Messages of condolence may be sent to catherineshaw2@gmail.com or through Serenity Lindsay Annapolis Valley funeral home: http://www.serenitylindsayfuneralhome.ca/.