Ellsworth Shaw

Ellsworth Shaw died in his bed at his family home on the afternoon of July 19, 2009. He was surrounded by family and friends, as he had been for the final two months of his life, battling illness and age. Ellsworth was born Harry Ellsworth Shaw in Chicago, Illinois on March 7, 1920, to Harry Dalton Shaw, a chemist for the railroad, and Elizabeth Lazar, a light opera singer and homemaker. He had one brother, Donald, who served in Korea and died in 1993. Ellsworth received a BS in chemistry at the University of Chicago, and went on to receive a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Arizona in 1949. He volunteered to serve his country during WWII, joining the Navy as a commissioned officer and serving in the Pacific Theater. In 1943, he came to Arizona to join his future bride, Elizabeth Lewis. Together they built the home that has remained the family residence to this day. In the early '50s he conducted notable research for the USDA in Maryland. Upon returning to Tucson, he developed a deep interest in the people and culture of Mexico, establishing a home for the family in Caborca, Sonora, and operating a commercial cotton farm just outside the town. In 1970, having become a leading expert in soils chemistry and consulting for many years in Southwestern commercial agriculture, he shifted his work life to Culiacan, Sinaloa to join a large vegetable producer, Agricola Canelos. He directed the research and development department for this company for the next 39 years, returning frequently to Tucson to visit with his family. He was responsible for several important technological advances in vegetable farming that were eventually adopted industry-wide. Just as important to him as his work were the many friendships he forged in Mexico, which continued until his death. He was known throughout Mexico's vast, west coast vegetable-growing region as El Doctor, or simply 'Doc,' the brilliant, energetic gringo who came down for a visit and never left. Throughout his life, he held deep affection and appreciation for the arts, and was a founding member of the Tucson Civic Ballet, which later became, and still is, the Arizona Ballet Company. Ellsworth is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; his children, Victoria, Frank, Rebecca, Thomas, John, Mary, Thalia, and Hebe; his grandchildren, Alejandro, Metta, Demetrio, Matthew, Aurelia, Megan, Maja, April, Morgan, Vanessa, Christina, Elizabeth, Benjamin, Gregorio, Victoria, Stephen, Rebecca, Cancion, Pierre, and Andres, and his great-grandchildren, Brittney, Anthony, Ruby, Trevor, Clementine, Robert, Solomon, Savannah, Esme, Allie, Adriana, Caroline, Allegra, Randy Lynn, John Paul, and Viggo. Ellsworth was loved and will be missed.