Larry Dale Shaw

Shaw, Larry Dale
Larry D. Shaw, M.D. passed away April 15, 2014. He was born September 18, 1934 in Bayard, Ohio to Paul and Thelma Shaw. He leaves behind Lyn, his wife of 19 years, and his older brother Bruce Shaw (Scottsdale) and family. He is also survived by his first wife Nancy Sheridan (Sun Lakes) and their three sons and families: David Shaw (Bellevue, WA), Alan Shaw (Sun Lakes) and Loren Shaw (Tigard, OR). Other survivors include brothers-in-law Lowell Schmidt (Lakeland, MN) and Wayne Schmidt (Chaska, MN) and their families, as well as many other members of the large Minnesota-centered family he married into. Larry's family moved from Ohio to Arizona in 1939. He grew up in Glendale and graduated from Glendale High School in 1952. He earned his M.D. degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 1959 and did his Internship at Good Samaritan Hospital in Phoenix. From 1960 to 1964 he was in the General Practice of Medicine at a location in South Phoenix. In the early 1960s he was a Captain in the United States Air Force Reserve. In 1964 he began a Residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the University of Vermont. He returned to Arizona and in 1969 began providing pathology services at the old Southside Hospital in Mesa. In 1970 he became an Assistant Maricopa County Medical Examiner; he continued to hold this position until the early 1990s. Upon the 1973 opening of Desert Samaritan Hospital (now Banner Desert Medical Center) in Mesa he became the first Director of the Medical Laboratory and in 1975 was the Medical Staff President. In 1974 he co-founded Clin-Path Associates, PC becoming an Associate Pathologist with the group. In 1980 he co-founded Sonora Laboratory Sciences, Inc. eventually becoming an Associate Pathologist at Sonora Quest Laboratories. In later years Larry provided pathology coverage at locations away from Desert Samaritan Hospital. In the Phoenix area these included Chandler Regional Hospital, Tempe St. Luke's Hospital and Phoenix Baptist Hospital. Locations outside of Phoenix included Navapache Hospital (Show Low), White Mountain Regional Hospital (Springerville), Winslow Memorial Hospital, Wickenberg Regional Hospital, Page Hospital, Verde Valley Medical Laboratory (Cottonwood) and Havasu Surgery Center (Lake Havasu City). Larry belonged to numerous medical and pathology organizations. His most favored involvement was being the team leader at medical laboratory inspections around the country as part of the College of American Pathologists Laboratory Accreditation Program. He had great respect for the knowledge of the members of his teams, and was also very fond of them. With regard to career choice, Larry was one of the fortunate; not only did he enjoy the practice of pathology, he was pretty good at. He did not fully retire as an Associate Pathologist with Clin Path Associates, PC until 2009, at age 75. Larry had a variety of interests - photography, woodworking, wine and both gourmet and the healthier Pritikin-style cooking - and while pursuing them was always fascinated with the people he would meet. A licensed pilot in his younger days, Larry loved hearing the stories of other pilots and was always willing to talk aircraft with them. Travel was another of Larry's passions. While he enjoyed what destinations had to offer in terms of meeting the local people, sights, dining opportunities and so forth, it was the travel itself that he loved most. His favorite quotation came from Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson published in 1879: "For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move..." Larry always took advantage of opportunities to encourage younger individuals to pursue or advance in the careers of their choice, and was especially pleased when he could contribute to their success in some way. Even in his last days, people meeting him for the first time commented to Lyn about what a "true gentlemen" he was. Larry will be greatly missed by his wife and family, as well as many good friends and associates. Larry was a classical music lover and believed its future depended upon young musicians. Please direct memorial gifts to Rosie's House: A Music Academy for Children. Its mission is to provide Phoenix youth with the gift of music education by providing instruments and free instruction. Additional information is available at www.rosieshouse.org In keeping with Larry's wishes, no service or celebration of life is planned. It was his preference that the next time you are enjoying a glass of good wine, or other beverage of your choice, you raise your glass and think a kind thought of him. Cremation will be handled by Melcher Mortuary Mission Chapel in Mesa. The family may be contacted at P.O. Box 50159, Phoenix, AZ 85076.