Gerard T. Shaw

Gerard T. Shaw, 77, died September 18 after a long battle with cancer, at his home with his family by his side. He was a Hingham resident for 40 years.Born July 20, 1926, in Brockton, he was the son of the late Gerard F. and Mildred (Taylor) Shaw of Milton.He attended Milton Public Schools and Tabor Academy where he was a standout athlete in Football and Baseball. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Dartmouth College, graduating in 1951. He received a Masters in Education from Boston State College (now UMASS Boston) in 1959. He was a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II, serving as a signalman, Seaman First Class, from 1944-1946. Mr. Shaw was an English teacher for thirty years at Hull High School. In Dartmouth’s 50 Year Book in 2001, he explained why he chose teaching as a profession, after stints in Journalism and Sales, in the following quote: “…my new bride Joan and her dad influenced me to ‘go teach.’ I did, loved it, and spent 30 years exposing youngsters to Shakespeare and Chaucer, breaking up cafeteria tussles, coaching football and track, and running the school newspaper (The Pirate Eye)— productive enough, from the inside out, to blend nicely with my major goal, family cohesiveness. It worked.”He retired from teaching in 1989.Mr. Shaw coached track and football for many years at Hull High School and also coached Little League, Babe Ruth League and American Legion baseball in Hingham. After retiring, Mr. Shaw enjoyed reading history and became an avid Civil war buff. He also spent time collecting and displaying flags at his Hingham home and the family’s cottage in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada. Mr. Shaw treasured summers in New Brunswick where he relaxed with family and friends, watched sunsets and listened to his beloved Red Sox. He leaves his devoted wife, Joan (O’Leary) Shaw, three daughters, Elizabeth (Shaw) Marcus of Ridgefield, Connecticut; Priscilla (Shaw) Lombard of Dublin, Ireland; Sarah (Shaw) Drury of Hanover; a son, Andrew Shaw, of Northampton, MA; a sister, Nancy May of Anderson, South Carolina (formerly of Kennesaw, Georgia,) and ten grandchildren. A sister, Elizabeth Whiteley, died in 1966. The family suggests that memorial gifts may be made to Hospice of the South Shore, 100 Bay State Drive in Braintree.Visiting hours will be 2:00–6:00 PM Sunday at the Pyne Keohane Funeral Home in Hingham. A Funeral Service will be held Monday at 10:30 AM in the funeral home. Burial in Milton Cemetery, 211 Centre Street in Milton.