James Shaw

Dr. James William Shaw Jr, 75 of Cookeville passed away suddenly Thursday, Sept. 5, 2013 at his home. A visitation for family and friends will be held on Sunday, Sept. 15 from 2 until 4 PM at Hooper- Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home. Dr. Shaw chose cremation. Jim was born in Sheffield, Alabama March 4, 1938 to James William Shaw, Sr. and Ila Hale Shaw. He moved to Tennessee at an early age, living in Chattanooga, Lebanon, Jackson and Cookeville. Jim graduated from Red Bank High School and then from the University of Chattanooga in 1961 with an A.B. in chemistry. He attended Biochemistry graduate school at the UT Medical Center in Memphis where he met and married his wife Pat. Jim worked at Plough Inc. while Pat finished nursing school, and then he entered UT Medical School, graduating in 1968. While he was in Memphis, St. Jude's Hospital was built to treat children's cancers. Jim helped form a donor program for students to have plasmapheresis to provide needed blood products for those early patients at St. Jude's. Thereafter, St. Jude's became one of his favorite charities. After an internship at the Medical College of Georgia, Jim served two years in the U. S. Air Force as a captain in the medical corps. During that time he spent one year in Thailand during the Vietnam War. Jim returned to Tennessee and completed a residency in Ob-Gyn at Vanderbilt. He then practiced obstetrics and gynecology in Cookeville from 1974 until his retirement in 2003, delivering over 6000 babies. Jim also established a clinic at the Regional Health Department and donated his time to treat cervical cancer for 20 years. Surviving family includes his wife Pat to whom he was married for over 50 years, his children Dr. John Shaw and wife Lynne of Nashville, son Stephen and wife Anne of San Rafael. California, daughter Dr. Merri Shaw Collins and husband Dr. Reid Collins of Franklin, son Mark; daughter Susan both of Cookeville, grandchildren Will Shaw of Portland, Oregon, Sam and Lily Shaw of Nashville and Isaac and Rachel Collins of Franklin. Jim is also survived by a sister Ila Shaw, and brother, David Shaw and wife, Jan all of Cookeville and a sister, Sarah Cliett of Danielsville, Ga. nephew Adam Shaw and wife Lynn and great nieces MacKenna and Ember of Dearborn, Michigan. The family suggests donations may be made to St. Jude's Children's Hospital, 501 St Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38101-9929 or online at stjude.org, or the charity of your choice.