John Shaw

John William Shaw, 74, passed away peacefully at his home in Ruidoso, New Mexico on Wednesday, September 24, 2014, following a long and valiant battle with cancer. He was surrounded by his wife, Judy, and other members of his family.

A resident of Ruidoso for more than 40 years, John was born February 25, 1940 at home in Sylvan Hills, Arkansas to Cyrus Jennings Shaw and Hazel McKenzie Shaw. He was their fifth and youngest child. John was raised in Sylvan Hills and was an active member of the New Hope Church of God where his father was pastor. He graduated from North Little Rock high school in 1958 where he was a star athlete. He went on to earn a BS degree in civil engineering from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville.
After graduation he went to work for the Arkansas highway department and was instrumental in designing and building I 30. Then he joined a Little Rock construction company and was assigned to supervise a contract to build a dam at the Inn of the Mountain Gods in Ruidoso. Shortly after moving to Ruidoso he met the love of his life and soul mate Judy Huddleston and they were married in 1974.
John later joined Betco Contracting, then Foster Wheeler, resulting in he and Judy spending several years overseas while John supervised projects in Kuwait and Venezuela. Ultimately, he and Judy returned to Ruidoso and formed Shaw Engineering, which has served the Ruidoso area for decades. Among the myriad of projects John completed over the years in Ruidoso and elsewhere, the two he always talked about were the dam at the Inn of the Mountain Gods where he always said it all started and the footings for the McGarry horse sculptures at the Museum of the Horse in Ruidoso Downs.

John is survived by his wife Judy Huddleston Shaw, son Brian Shaw and wife Stacy of Federal Way, WA, son Jason and wife Kelly of Spring, TX, grandchildren Sorelda, Braddek, and Rykkhan of Houston, TX and Malina and Tanner of Federal Way, WA., siblings David Shaw and wife Karen of Sugar Land, TX, Shirley and husband Frank Cheek of Alexander, AR, Paul Shaw and wife Dolena of Phoenix, AZ., Sisterinlaw Billie Huddleston of Las Cruces, NM, and numerous nephews and nieces.
John was preceded in death by his parents and by his eldest sister Mary, who after dying as a child, has always been affectionately called Little Mary.

Services will be at First Christian Church, 1211 Hull Rd, Ruidoso, NM at 2:00 PM Monday, September 29, 2014, officiating will be Chaplain Darrell Winter. A reception will follow at the Apache Tee Restaurant at the Inn of the Mountain Gods at 46 PM. A graveside service will be held in Ira, TX on Wednesday, October 1, 2014 at 2:00 PM. Serving as pallbearers are Bruce Cheek, Gary Cheek, Greg Shaw, Mike Shaw, Stuart Berry, Eddie Davis, Steve Lovell and Eric Collins.

The family has requested memorials to the Lincoln County Food 4 Kids Backpack Program in Ruidoso, which provides weekend food to needy children. Make checks payable to the Angus Church of the Nazarene with Food 4 Kids John Shaw in the memo field, and mail to the church at HC71 Box 1162, Capitan, NM 88316. This program partners with the Church of the Nazarene, but is totally supported by donations to its program.

It is said that John kept his beloved mother, Hazel, alive through the years with his endless stories about her. His family and friends will keep him alive in the same way.

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