Ralph Bernard Shaw came into this world on June 23rd, 1936, first born of Mr. (Booster) Olin Shaw and Mrs. Hattie Mae Ezell Shaw. Ralph attended Clements High School and upon graduating, he entered the military. While in the military, Ralph earned recognition as a sharpshooter and received honorable discharge upon leaving. Ralph then entered the business world to begin his career. While working as a cotton grader for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, his job carried him to El Paso, Texas. It was here that he met Ms. Lucy Cano. He knew that he had found his true love and brought her home with him to Athens, Alabama where they had four children. With his wife and new family at home, Ralph began work on the farm as a true cattleman, teaching his sons how to work cattle the “Cowboy Way”. He may not have realized it then, but this would be his life’s work and something that would take their family all over the Southeast and further- leading to many lifelong friendships that the Shaw family cherishes to this day.
He leaves behind his sons Mark Bernard Shaw and Victor Cano Shaw (Tammy); daughters Cindy Shaw Green (Vince) and Beth Alyson Shaw (Jimmy); special sons Henry Gonzalez, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andy Gonzales; sister Judy Shaw; grandsons Dylan Shaw (Lauren), Owen Green, Shaw Ellison, Austin Ellison; granddaughters Reagan Green, Caroline Green, and Jazmine Ellison; great-grandson Henry Shaw; and special nephew Vicente Cano (Ginger).
He is preceded in death by parents Booster and Hattie Shaw; grandson Dakota Shaw; wife Lucy Shaw; and
Throughout his life, Ralph met every day with a plan for what he needed to accomplish. Whether it was raising, feeding, and penning cattle, or helping one of his many friends, he did it all with great pleasure and no matter the circumstance, he did what needed to be done. Of all his many admirable qualities, he was most known for keeping his word, sometimes at great personal expense. The old saying, “don’t mind the mule, just load the wagon” was an understatement for Ralph. It would be shameful to not mention the many dogs that Ralph kept over the years. He lived a simple life in many ways, but the breed and quality of dog he kept was not one of them. He would only accept the best, using them to catch the rankest of cattle, most famously those found at Redstone Arsenal in the1970s. There is even a song about his reputation as a “dogman” called “Ralph Shaw’s dogs”.
It is with deep sorrow that we announce the loss of this true grit living legend at the age of 87. Ralph and Lucy stayed married until the end, with an incredible 59 years of marriage. Although gone, his legacy as a hard worker, true friend, and kind heart will not soon be forgotten and will live on in the hearts of many.
Visitation will be September 2nd from 6-9 p.m. at Limestone Chapel in Athens, Alabama. There will be another brief visitation on September 3rd from 12-2pm with funeral following at Limestone Chapel. Burial will be at Ripley Cemetery following the funeral.
There are too many honorary pallbearers to name, but the Shaw family would like to extend their deepest thanks to his many dear friends.
