Michael Shaw

Michael Shaw DSc, FLS, FRSC Michael passed away very peacefully in Victoria BC on March 25th 2013, with his devoted family at his side. He was deeply loved and will be remembered always by his beloved wife of 65 years, Jeannie (nee Berkinshaw), their children, Christopher (Jennifer), Pelly (Gerard McKee), Nicholas (Susan) and Andrew (Teri) Shaw, and their grandchildren, Lauren Lapointe-Shaw (Lucas Chartier), and Sigourney, Pelly, Jennifer (Neil Saxon), Kathryn, Myles, Matthew, Tyler, James, Emily and William Shaw. He will also be sadly missed by his brother, Dick [Richard] Shaw and his cousin, David Walcott, who were his close childhood companions and lifelong friends. Michael was born February 11th, 1924 in Barbados and graduated from The Lodge School. In 1943, he came to Canada on a scholarship to attend McGill University, where he obtained a PhD in biology and fell in love with Jeannie; they were married in 1948. Following a year of postdoctoral work at Cambridge, Michael and Jeannie moved to Saskatoon, and at the University of Saskatchewan Michael became the universitys first plant pathologist. While Michael pursued teaching, research on wheat rust, and administrative duties, he and Jeannie enjoyed prairie life and established many lifelong friendships. In 1967 they moved their young family to Vancouver, where Michael became Dean of Agricultural Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He remained at UBC for 22 years as Dean, Academic Vice-President and University Professor. After retiring in 1989, Michael maintained his longstanding interest in science and Canadian politics. He and Jeannie continued to live in the house they loved in the UBC area, enjoying their children, grandchildren, and good friends, as well as a very special trip to Australia and New Zealand to visit old McGill friends. In January 2013 they began a move to Sidney BC, which sadly, Michael was unable to complete. Michaels many awards and his honorary degees from McGill, UBC and the University of Saskatchewan were not only of personal importance to him, but also attest to his lasting impact as a scientist, teacher and administrator. More on Michaels career may be found at http://www.landfood.ubc.ca/about-us/faculty-history/dean/michael-shaw The love and devotion of his family and their overwhelming sense of loss at his passing attest to his legacy as a husband, father and grandfather. Michaels ashes will be scattered on the water near Mistaken Island, off Parksville BC, where he spent many happy summer holidays with his family. A celebration of Michaels life will be held on Saturday, May 11, 2013 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at the UBC Campus in Vancouver. For more information email chris.shaw@bell.net. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations in his memory be directed to any one of the three Canadian universities that were such a big part of his life: McGill, the University of Saskatchewan, and UBC, or to a charity of the donors choice.