Mr. Raymond Shaw Jr.'s Obituary
Raymond Shaw Jr., age 95, of Rockford, died Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at his home in Pentonville, Al.
The oldest of two children born to Raymond Shaw and Valeria Blackwell, Raymond was born in Montgomery and graduated from Rockford High School. After graduating at 16 years old he attended Huntington College in Montgomery, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. He then taught high school science at Valley High School.
Raymond always considered himself a very lucky man. The first example of his outstanding luck was his wife of 74 years. While home for the summer he saw a local young beauty by the name of Sara Ann Maddox at the drugstore and thought she looked like a good candidate for a summer romance before he returned to his teaching position in the fall. He was luckily wrong about the idea of a summer romance. He and Sara married just in time to report to Marine Corp basic training in Cherry Point, N.C. While fully expecting to be sent to Korea, Raymond again experienced a lucky break when instead he was assigned to education due to his recent college degree and teaching experience. He also considered the Marine Corp one of the finest experiences of his life. His five children were raised on the Halls of Montezuma, and Semper Fi, as well as the U.S.M.C. birthday of November 10. After discharge from U.S.M.C., he and Sara along with their first child, Ann, came back to Alabama. The family grew quickly to include Janice, Robert, Raymond Ivey, and Paul.
The family spent 13 years in Tuscaloosa where Raymond continued his employment with Burroughs Corporation. He started selling cash registers and was involved in the early days of the computer industry, specializing in the financial segment. Ray was an active member of Alberta Methodist Church where he taught Sunday school and assisted with the Boy Scouts. He was a devoted father who attended practices, competitions, PTA meetings, and parent-teacher conferences. He spent countless hours pulling his kids on water skis around any lake within reach, as well as tent camping through-out the southeast.
Burroughs then took the family to Greenwood, Miss., where he again was active in St. John’s Methodist Church and continued his devotion to all his children’s activities and events. This included swim team practices at 6:30 a.m. and competitions every weekend during the summer, as well as piano and art lessons, basketball and football practice and games. Four years later the family was off again when Ray was transferred to Atlanta, Ga., before settling back in Pelham, Ala., where he spent the last years of his 30-year career with Burroughs before joining Digital Corporation for his final sales management position before his first retirement.
He and Sara were dreaming of moving back to Coosa County even before Ray retired. Developing family property lovingly referred to as the Farm, Ray became a “gentleman farmer” with horses, cows and a small hay business. He later partnered with his oldest son, Robert, in acquiring additional former family land to “grow the Farm.” He became the Farm manager for another 10 years before he laughingly said “this thing is too big for me to run” before his final retirement.
He spent his true retirement years involved with his family home church of Pleasant Hill Methodist, Alfa, Farmers Federation, Treasure Forest, and other civic activities. He loved playing golf with his favorite golfing buddy Wayne Ray. He and Sara hosted all the fifth grade classes from Coosa County for an educational and fun day at the Farm with the educational portion provided by the Coosa County Forestry Commission. They delighted in all the grown kids they met who remembered coming to Shaw Farm. After the close of Pleasant Hill Methodist church, Ray and Sara were happy to become a part of the Equality Methodist Church family where they loved and received the love of others for four years. Finally, Dad and his fishing partner Jimmy spent hours reeling in enough fish for many fish fries. He loved to tell people, “I catch them, John cleans them, and Robert cooks them.”
Ray is survived by his loving wife, Sara; his daughter, Janice Shaw of Rockford; and his son, Robert (wife, Elizabeth) of Dallas, Texas; his grandchildren, Sarah Foster (Stephen), of Spring Hill, Tenn., Peter Correro (Joy) of Gillette, Wyo., Camille Clark (Brad) of Trussville, John Burke (Kelsie) of Rockford, Margaret Bowen (Matt) of Austin, Texas, Ethan Shaw (fiancée, Kayla) of San Diego, Calif., and Griffin Shaw (Laura) of Dallas, Texas. He loved telling friends of his great-grands and great-great-grands, including Sarah Sheffield (Joel) of Birmingham, Katie Battle of Albertville, Natalie Dykes (Evan) of Margaret, Alan Battle Jr. of Philadelphia, Penn., Joey Crane of Trussville, Zoe Foster of Spring Hill, Tenn., Michael Correro of Spring Hill, Tenn., Marc Grayson Correro of Mishawaka, Ind., and Miss Lily Bowen of Austin, Texas. The great-great grandchildren are Miss Ophelia Owen, Miss Caroline Dykes, Leo Owen, and the most recent addition, William Dykes. Also surviving are dear friends and family Bill and Judy Goff and family, beloved cousins, nieces, nephews, and more friends
than you can count.
In addition to his parents and brother, Rev. Bobby Shaw, and beloved sister-in-law, Shirley, Ray was predeceased by three of his children, Anne Thorne (David), Raymond Ivey, and Paul, and granddaughter, Meredith Battle. As with all of life’s tragedies he faced these losses with the love and support of “his Bride” as he lovingly referred to Sara.
A memorial service will be held for Raymond on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in the sanctuary of Equality Methodist Church in Equality. Visitation will be at 1 p.m., followed by a service at 2 p.m. Brother Wayne Cowhick officiating. Interment will be at a later time in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Rockford.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Food for the Soul, Equality Methodist Church, or the Cemetery Fund of Pleasant Hill Methodist Church in care of Janice Shaw. The family extends sincere love and appreciation to the staff and caregivers at Enhabit Home Health and Hospice for their compassionate care, as well as to Teresa Mitchell and Vickie White for all they have done for Ray and Sara. A very special thank you to Guy Patterson, MD; Kevin Sublett, MD; Sandy Sublett, CRNP, and staff; as well as Robert Edwards, MD, and staff for the friendship and outstanding care they provided to Ray.
Radney Funeral Home is honored to serve the family of Raymond Shaw.
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