John Earl Shaw

August 6, 1941 - May 4, 2022

John Earl Shaw was born in Oil City, LA to James Earl Shaw and Mary Alice Fowler Shaw. He was the oldest of three boys, Richard and James being his brothers. A serious boy that grew to be a serious man, he enlisted in the Army and served from February 1960 to February 1963. Upon his discharge, he married the girl that he charmed with his focused demeanor and cool convertible., Mary Carmen. Together they worked towards his attendance and graduation from LSU with a mechanical engineering degree, class of 1968. John began his engineering career with Swepco in 1968 at the Southwest Experimental Fast Oxide Reactor in Fayetteville, AR. From there, he moved on to work at the Lone Star & Wilks plants in maintenance leadership before being named plant superintendent at the Knoxlee Power Plant in 1977. He retired in 1999 after working 31 years for the company. A chronic gearhead, he developed an insatiable love for motorcycling & especially BMW motorcycles. He enjoyed tweaking on his machines and always looked forward to long rides to various parts of the country. This was his therapy, he would say. John was a former Lions Club member and was president in 1998. He volunteered with Habitat for Humanity and occasionally took his favorite grandson with him to help. He attended First Baptist Church in Hallsville where he helped his wife on the Bereavement Committee. John is preceded in death by his parents, his son Kenneth and his brother James. He is survived by his wife Mary; grandson Logan; daughter-in-law Tiffany; brother Richard; various nieces and nephews. Services will be held on Saturday, May 5, 2022 at noon in the Chapel of Rader Funeral Home. The family will receive friends from 11 to noon prior to the service. Burial will follow at Rosewood Park.