HICKMAN, Anne Shaw, 97, died in Ft. Lauderdale, FL with her brother, Roger L. Shaw, at her side on January 30, 2014 after a brief illness. She was born in West New York, N.J. the daughter of Catherine Agnes (Reardon) Shaw and Louis A. Shaw. She was a loving wife, daughter, sister, Aunt, cousin and friend to all who knew her. She was a pioneer in business who transferred that pioneering spirit into educating youth. Anne graduated from St. Elizabeth College with a BA in Business Administration in 1937. She then joined Pan American Airways handling traffic sales and travel promotion at the New York headquarters. In her time with Pan Am, Anne assumed responsibility for Corporate and Government Agency Accounts and VIP International travel. During World War II, Anne maintained the confidential International travel rosters for ranking members of the military and the Government.
At the conclusion or the War, Anne was recruited by Air France. In addition to the many technical tasks that she completed such as creating the first Official Sales Training program for all District Sales Office in the United States and preparing all training manuals, visual sales mediums and personnel policies, Anne was appointed the International Sales Development Coordinator of the Fashion Industry in both New York and Paris. In this capacity, Anne traveled extensively in both the United States and Europe where she produced events focused on the design houses in Paris and the re-emergence of Air France as a major international carrier.
Anne retired from Air France when she married and worked with her husband to start a new company, the National Power Plant Equipment Distributor and Service Corporation. Following his sudden and tragic death, Anne relocated to Florida where she reignited her passion for fashion and embarked on a new career teaching the next generation of designers and fashion managers. She acquired a teaching certificate and served on the faculty of both Coral Springs and Pompano Beach High Schools in the Co-op education program that combined studies with paid work experience in the field. This was a new program at the time and Anne was able to bring all of her prior experience to bear teaching Fashion Merchandising. During the 12 years that she taught, Anne continued her own education often spending summers taking classes at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.
She was predeceased by her beloved husband Randall B. Hickman and her dearest sister, Ethel (Shaw) O’Shaughnessy. She is survived by her devoted brother Roger A. Shaw, her nephew James O’Shaughnessy and his wife Andrea of Medfield, MA and her nieces Mary Anne Kresse and husband Fred of Seneca, SC; Kathleen O’Shaughnessy and husband George Klitsch of Stamford, CT; Beth McTigue and husband Jerry of Fairfield, CT; Eileen Grasso and husband Patrick of Old Greenwich, CT; and Margaret Skikos and husband Peter of Santa Rosa, CA; ten Grandnieces and nephews and three Great-Grand Nieces. She is also survived by her cousins, Paul O. Screvane of Reading, PA; Sara-Ann Steber and husband John of Wyomissing, PA; Christopher J. Screvane and wife Patti of New York, NY; and Brian W. Screvane and wife Lynn of East Quogue, NY and their families.
Anne had the rare combination of intelligence, great insight and a deep and abiding love of family. She was a magnificent woman of grace, dignity, style and humor who never succumbed to self-pity even in the face of personal tragedy. We are extremely grateful for the very special bond that she shared with each of us and we consider it a blessing that we had her wisdom, guidance and unconditional love. She was filled with laughter and joy that was shared by everyone who was in her presence. She touched us all and we will miss her profoundly.
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