Mary Shaw

Mary Shaw

Mary Sue (Martin) Shaw passed away peacefully on August 26, 2025. She was 93. She and her husband, Dr. John L. Shaw, were long-time residents of Greeneville, Tennessee, moving away four years ago to be near their children.

Mary Sue (Sue, to her many friends) was born at home in the Shoal Creek community of Cherokee County, North Carolina on June 19, 1932 to Mack and Eva Martin. She was their only child. Her grandfather was a veteran of the U. S. Civil War.

In the early 1950s Sue and her mother moved to Greeneville where Sue continued her nurses training at Takoma Hospital. In 1955, Sue met John L. Shaw, a nice young man from Texas who worked at the hospital as a laboratory technician. They married on May 24, 1956 at the Greeneville Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The next years passed quickly. John's desire to become a physician led them to live in Framingham, Massachusetts for four years (college), Loma Linda, California for four years (medical school), Washington, DC for one year (internship) and Meridian, Mississippi for two years (serving in the United States Navy).

Dr. James Ray McKinney invited John to return to Greeneville to serve as a physician at Takoma Hospital. In August 1967, Sue and John, with their children and Sue's mother Eva, moved back to Greeneville.

Sue and John enjoyed raising their family in East Tennessee. Using the great selection of fruit and vegetables grown in their garden, Sue prepared many delicious meals her children enjoyed. One family favorite was her strawberry pie, made with a secret ingredient that her family loved!

She was an active member of the Greeneville Seventh-day Adventist Church where she served in various capacities over the years, including working with the church's Pathfinder Club.

Sue had a passion for travel, too. She saw to it that each of her children visited all fifty States. She and John traveled extensively, visiting many countries and making new friends along the way.

Sue managed the Fig Tree Health Food Store, located just down the hill from Takoma Hospital. She also served on the Community Concert Series Board inviting guest artists and travelogues to Greeneville.

Sue trained her children to be loving and caring for each other and for those who joined her family through marriage.

Sue is survived by her loving husband of sixty-nine years, Dr. John L. Shaw, her sons, Carl (Debbie) of Hendersonville, NC, Ken (Ann) of Ooltewah, TN, Kevin (Terryn) of Charlotte, NC, Keith (Linda) of Durham, NC and her daughter, Carol (Steve) Johnson of Naples, FL, eight grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren.

Sue was preceded in death by her infant son, Christopher Alan Shaw.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Greeneville Adventist Academy – 305 Takoma Avenue, Greeneville, TN 37743 or to the Dr. John and Sue Shaw Family Endowed Scholarship Fund at Southern Adventist University, PO Box 370 Collegedale, TN 37315, -www.southern.edu/giveshawfamily.

A memorial service for Sue will be held at the Greeneville Seventh-day Adventist Church on Sunday, November 9, 2025 at 2:00pm.

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38, 39.