I am so sorry to hear of Jim’s passing.  My maiden name is Shaw. We had a very special first meeting on Christmas Eve. He was as a special person.  🙏

A year after my father passed away I realized I couldn’t handle the grief of his loss so I seek help of a grief counselor… this was back in Virginia 2018… when I moved back to Texas it took me 4 different attempts until I found the PERFECT THERAPIST! I’ve had been seeing Dr. Shaw since 2020 and let me tell you not only this men saved me from depression but also saved my marriage! 
Every year in the Summer Dr. Shaw would go back to Michigan his home state to spend summer with his family and even though he would offer to do virtual sessions I would say: enjoy your family time I will see you when you get back! 

Well two weeks ago was supposed to be my session after summer break and when I get there: door is locked, phones disconnected and only a few minutes later I realized the sign was gone… my heart sunk I knew something was wrong… I knock on the business next door to find out he had passed away a week after I saw him! 😢💔

I’ve been trying to write something for two weeks but the tears and the ache in my heart are bigger than the words I can put together! I will miss him so much and I’m sure he leaves a whole in a lot of people that he helped. 

Today I decided to honor him by taking care of my plants! He was the one that recommended me doing gardening and taking care of plants with my bare hands because has the same therapeutic effect of most depression medicines! 

Life is so  short so make every moment count and take care of YOURSELF first and be kind to each other because you never know what everyone is going through! Peace and love y’all!

Sorry for the families loss. He was a great counselor to me.

I was deeply saddened to hear about the sudden passing of Jim. He was a cherished friend to me for the past 60 years, and his loss leaves a void that cannot be filled.

Jim's kindness, wisdom, and sense of humor were a constant source of joy and comfort. His presence enriched the lives of all who knew him. I will always treasure the countless memories we shared, from our early days together to the more recent times.

Please know that my thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time. May you find strength in the love and support of family and friends, and may Jim's memory be a blessing to all of us who knew and loved him.

With deepest sympathy,
Karen (Needham) Stevens

My condolences to Jim's family.  I worked for Jim at GTE for a few years in a technical group.  He was a good person and a good manager, always positive, always honest, and always striving to contribute.

Jim and I have been very close friends since playing little league baseball and football.  We later went on to play football, basketball, baseball and tennis together in high school.

We shared a locker in high school.  Since I was quiet, shy and didn't know many people and Jim was very outgoing and social, he always made me feel very comfortable and part of the crowd which meant a lot to me.  Jim was class president our sophomore year.

We worked together several summers during high school and college at a beach park and a factory.  At the park some young brothers nicknamed Jim, Smiley, because he was always smiling.  It was a perfect fit, because Jim always smiled and loved life.  I was honored to be best man at his wedding.

Jim loved his family and good friends and talked about them often.  He was always positive and never complained about anything and was unbelievably generous all the time which was amazing.

For a number of years now we would have zoom calls about once a month or so that would last for three or four hours.  We both had a passion for books and classic rock music which we discussed regularly, occasionally surprising each other with a book in the mail.

We could always be our "real" self around each.  I am fortunate and thankful to have had Jim in my life.  He was like a brother and a friend to me!

I’m truly sorry to hear about James Shaw’s passing. Losing someone we’ve known, even through a single class, can be deeply impactful. It sounds like he left a positive impression as a genuine and gentle person. May his memory be a source of comfort during this difficult time.

What a loss for James to have to leave us all in his prime.  There are many who had the privilege to have had James in their lives much longer than I have. However, during the time I knew him as a fellow psychology colleague at Austin Community College (ACC), we had several delightful exchanges. We discovered we were both born in the same town of Pontiac Michigan, and only four years apart--(James being the junior "kid"). We shared a dear fondest from our home state of Michigan and both return as often as we can.  One of my fondest memories I shared with James was the evening we spent on an ACC sponsored Cruise boat on Lake Lady Bird in downtown Austin. We had the opportunity to get to know each other better, not only sharing our love of the state of Michigan, but our devotion to the field of psychology and helping to inspire young people.  He was so warm and enthusiastic and made me feel he had a sincere desire to get to know me as his colleague, ending the evening with exchanges of personal contact information. With much respect, I will cherish our conversations and the twinkle in his eye as that happy and passionate guy. So as a passing friend, and with a sad heart, I will miss you James, but will hold on to memories of your kindness.  My deep condolences to all of you who loved James--you are the lucky ones.  "So long for awhile" James,  from your fellow Michigander Sherry.                    [Sherry Lynn Blakey, PhD., M.L.S.]

Our faculty and staff in the ACC Department of Psychology extends its deepest condolences to Jim’s family.  Jim’s tireless professionalism, boundless warmth, and positive approach to life were an inspiration to the faculty and students.  In the six years he was with us, he enriched our lives immeasurably, while mentoring faculty colleagues and educating and supporting his students in their quest to become all they can be.   Jim epitomized the ideal community college instructor: joyous, embracing, encouraging, and utterly dedicated.  The fact that he did all of these things consistently and with such ineffable grace is a monument to his memory.  Jim will be greatly missed by all of us.

Jim is a gentle giant. He was a fun-loving guy, a great friend, caring & loving companion, and always full of humor. He has lived life to the fullest and enjoyed the present right up to his last days. He was selfless and generous; would always be available for family and friends visiting Charlevoix. He enjoyed all the things in life – food, work, teaching, family, friends, card games, corn hole, walks, the great lakes of Michigan, etc. He is irreplaceable. I love him with all my heart.

It is hard to believe that our friend and colleague is gone.  ACC will forever miss him and be a little less due to his absence, just as it was always that much more due to his presence.

Jim and I are only 11 months apart.  We lived on a farm when we were little. I am 4 and Jim is 3 in this picture.  Miss him so much !!!

Loved going to Charlevoix to see Jim, it was like a vacation.  Jim loved showing everyone that went up there , all around, taking them to his favorite places, especially the mushroom houses. He always joked with me, that I was the only one that took pictures.  Really going to miss all the fun memories with Jim !!!

Jim always lived out of state, but he always made time for mom.  They would get on their computers and play euchre together.  Mom loved spending time with jim, playing euchre, it was like he was right there with her.  They played at night for hours.

OBITUARY

James Allan Shaw

March 18, 1958 – June 29, 2024

Cook-Walden Chapel of the Hills Funeral Home

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