Carl B. Shaw, who died on Saturday September 28th, lived a life full enough for at least three men, and leaves a lasting legacy of hard work, love, and faith for his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren.
Born on September 30, 1924, in Boston MA to Nathan and Pauline Shaw, Carl spent his earliest years in Philadelphia, before joining the Merchant Marines, where he earned, in addition to several large tattoos and colorful tales, both Pacific and Atlantic War Zone Bars. Washing ashore in Galveston Texas after the war, Carl worked a series of odd and improbable jobs which always led to important opportunities.
The most fortuitous of these being his summer job as a Fishing Guide in Yellowstone Park, where after catching fish, he also managed to catch the love of his life, Marian A Jensen. Each evening, Carl would hitchhike back and forth from his camp to Fishing Bridge where Marian was stationed. They were married by the end of that summer, Labor Day 1952 in Livingston, MT.
Through an evolving career as a Professional Engineer P.E., Carl eventually settled on Non-Destructive Testing as his primary focus. His resume is lengthy and notable, including: Dow Chemical, Rocky Flats, CO, and Westinghouse for the U.S. Navy, Pittsburg PA. In the Pacific Northwest, he spent time at Westinghouse and Battelle out at Hanford, as well as Sandvik Special Metals and Portland General Electric.
He held several patents, and published numerous articles in his field. Professionally, Carl always enjoyed the opportunities for innovation, problem solving and "detective" work inherent in nondestructive testing. The investigation of structures and materials without harming their usefulness required a special creativity at which Carl excelled.
More than that, he enjoyed encouraging and assisting the development of other engineers and technicians and greatly valued the friendships he developed through his work. Those who count Carl as a friend, have known him for decades. A prolific writer of letters, Carl was always passing along notes, clippings and poems to those whom he wanted to encourage. A proud "lefty", each letter was written out in a painstaking print, above meticulous hand-drawn lines. Carl also did not champion a cause lightly. Whether it be his longstanding professional ties such as the American Society for Non-Destructive Testing ASNT where he was a Fellow, Past President and Chairman of the Board, or his 30+ years of membership with First Baptist Church of Richland where he served on various deacon and missionary boards, Carl always actively supported with abounding dedication. In his post retirement years, Carl became an avid supporter of the Gideons International and the local Merchant Marines group. Carl was preceded in death by his parents, sister Michelle Levy, and son Timothy Shaw. Survived by his wife of 61 years, Marian, sister Sybil Freedman of CT, son Brad Teresa of Orlando FL, daughter Twila Colby Steve of West Richland, and grandchildren Justin Colby Shanlenn, Rose Shaw, Paul Shaw, Elizabeth Shaw, Suzanne Shaw, Gordon Shaw, Andrew Shaw, and great-grandchildren Alden and Adelia Colby. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens off the Bypass Highway, Richland, WA at 10 am Wed. Oct. 2. Followed by a Memorial Service at the First Baptist Church, 1107 Wright Ave. Richland, WA at 11 am.