Lily Katherine Shaw

Lily Katherine Shaw, 22, of Nashville, passed away early on August 19th in her childhood home. She was surrounded by her parents at the time of her death. She is survived by both her parents, John and Lynne, and her two brothers, Will and Sam.

Lily spent her entire life overcoming barriers. Her drive and sheer force of will was, and always will be, an inspiration to all who knew her. Lily was a recent graduate of UCLA where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a double minor in Labor Studies and Disability Studies. There she served as the Student Association Council Facilities Commissioner, The Green Initiative Fund Chair, and DJ and Events Manager at UCLA Radio.

Lily was a fierce advocate for Disability Rights and sought to make universal the understanding that Disability Rights are indeed Human Rights. In 2002, at the age of 4, Lily became the poster child and namesake for Lily’s Garden at Fannie Mae Dees Park, the State’s first fully-accessible playground. In the years since, she interned in the Nashville’s Mayor’s office, where she worked to create a universal ADA compliance checklist for all government-funded construction projects. She also worked with the Disability Rights Center of Los Angeles. In her role as UCLA Student Association Council Facilities Commissioner, she labored to ensure the accessibility and equitable distribution of all student facilities. Specifically, she cofounded the Disabled Student Union to cultivate community and solidarity among students with disabilities, and she painstakingly rewrote the USAC bylaws to promote accessibility policies on campus. Lily’s dream was to obtain a law degree in International Disability Law so that she could continue her fight for Disability Rights at the highest levels of governance.

Lily was a loving, caring, and accepting daughter, sister, and friend. She had a lifelong love of music, best exemplified by her top rated UCLA radio show, Apathy Hour (under the moniker DJ Lil Angst), and by her annual pilgrimage to the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. An incredible ally and advocate for all marginalized communities, Lily dedicated her life to fighting for justice and cultivating community and acceptance for everyone. She fearlessly defended her loved ones, brought humor and light to every conversation, and empowered others to pursue their passions.

Everyone who encountered Lily Shaw knew that she was going to change the world—and she has and will continue to do so far into the future. Rather than offering food or flowers, we ask that those who would like to honor Lily’s extraordinary life and legacy to contribute to the fulfillment of her vision for a dedicated Disabled Students Union at UCLA by donating to this USAC campaign: https://gf.me/u/ys8dmh

There will be a visitation at Marshall-Donnelly-Combs Funeral Home (615-327-1111) on Tuesday, August 25th from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. CST.

Link: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/nashville-tn/lily-shaw-9320960

A live stream of her memorial service which will take place on Tuesday, August 25th at 6:00 p.m. CST will also be available on Lily Shaw's Memorial Service YouTube channel. Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOjRlNe1159XQgpt784W3Q/playlists?view_as=subscriber