Obituary of John Lawrence Shaw

JOHN LAWRENCE SHAW He was born April 15, 1947 in St. Louis, MO and passed away December 29, 2014 in Scotts Valley, CA. He is survived by his sister, Diane Dearinger, his brother-in-law James (Yancy) Dearinger, nephew Curtis Albertson of Boulder Creek, and Kerry Stange of Tampa, Florida. John lived in St. Louis until 1959 when he moved to San Jose, CA with his mother and father, John and Helen Shaw (deceased). He attended schools in San Jose and West Valley College. He ended his career as an Ear Bank Supervisor for Project Ear, a division of the California Ear Institute in Palo Alto, where he trained interns from Stanford Hospital on dissecting ear tissue. While there, he assisted many people who came to the clinic putting them in touch with the best resources to aid in their hearing issues. Most of his adult life was spent in Palo Alto where he enjoyed the many cultural events, etc. available. He was a talented musician who could play many instruments. He wrote and arranged music and loved playing with friends and his sister who is a clarinetist. After retiring, he moved in with his sister and brother-in-law in Montevalle located in Scotts Valley. He loved walking to the Scotts Valley Library, to Kings Village Shopping Center and to visit with the volunteers of the Scotts Valley Artisans. John was very generous with his time and was extremely good at lending an ear to whoever was in need. He loved to write short stories and poems, to read good books, and to watch PBS. His last years were quiet simple ones---he loved to cut out New Yorker cartoons, add his humorous comments, and give them to his favorite people. Also, he loved watching the ducks at the two lakes in Montevalle and talk to residents who came by. Any donations to the Scotts Valley Library would be appreciated. There will be a celebration of his life at a later date.