Jay Shaw

Jay Shaw, age 78, passed away on April 1st. Jay spent his childhood in Hayes Center, Nebraska. He attended the University of Nebraska on a Regent's Scholarship. It was during this time that Jay met the love of his life while on a road trip to New York City. He stopped in Ohio at the urging of a mutual friend who thought Jay just had to meet Blossom. Jay did not continue to New York, choosing instead to spend his vacation in Ohio with Blossom. From that point forward, there were nearly inseparable. They were married in 1965. They lived in Nebraska until 1972 when they settled in Iowa City where Blossom attended the famed Iowa Writer's Workshop. Jay took a job with Iowa Vending. He eventually purchased the company and grew it into a prosperous business.

Jay was a pilot and enjoyed flying a single-engine plane around the Iowa countryside. He was also a radio control airplane pilot and a member of the Iowa City Aerohawks. Jay was an avid writer and a ubiquitous note taker, seemingly never without a pen and one of his signature notepads. He also loved music, especially classical music, and his favorite musician was Blossom. Jay and Blossom were blessed with two children, Eric and Alisa. Jay was immensely proud of both children, aiding and encouraging them to pursue their interests.

In 1996, tragedy occurred when Eric was wrongfully killed by a police officer while working in his sculpture studio. Jay and Blossom were devastated by the loss of their son and the injustice surrounding his death. They endeavored to place Eric's beautiful art where it could be enjoyed by many. Thanks to their commitment, Eric's sculptures are on display at institutions including the Krasl Art Center, the Peoria Riverfront Museum, the Goldman-Kuenz Sculpture Park, and the Dubuque Arboretum.

One of Jay's retirement pursuits was bicycling with Blossom to have lunch in nearby communities. Every summer they would also take their bicycles to picturesque small Midwestern towns for a weekend getaway. There were also many cross-country drives to Fort Collins, Colorado to visit Alisa and her family. Jay was a doting grandparent.

Jay's last year of life was tinged with sadness at the loss of his beloved wife Blossom in February of 2019. Jay faced some health issues, but remained active until his surgery for bladder cancer in February of 2020. It was complications from this surgery that ultimately claimed his life. Jay was preceded in death by his father Ernest, and his mother Mary, his son Eric, and his wife Blossom. He is survived by his daughter Alisa, son-in-law Dan, and granddaughters Molly and Fiona, as well as his sister Phyllis, and brothers James and Jerome. Due to the restrictions place on gatherings due to Covid-19, no memorial service is planned at this time. His ashes will join Blossom's at a beautiful Iowa tallgrass prairie, a landscape they both loved.