Mr. Alec Shaw

February 22, 1949 - April 17, 2013

Alexander "Alec" John Goodwin Shaw passed away while in his home surrounded by family and friends and was taken to his Heavenly Father on Wednesday, April 17, 2013; as he lost his battle with cancer. He was 64 years old. He was a native of Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) and currently a resident of American Fork, Utah. Alexander was born in Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (Zambia) on February 22, 1949. He graduated Prince Edward High School in 1967. He then traveled to the United States to go to BYU to obtain his Masters in Electrical Engineering. He returned to South Africa for a period of time and returned to pursue his career at Bell Labs/At&T/Lucent in New Jersey. When he retired he returned to American Fork, Utah and has been here since. Alec was a person of many talents but the most memorable is “Mr. Fix it” (all you need is a can of WD40 and duct tape.) He also loved woodworking, teaching (Whether it be gospel or his grandchildren weird science knowledge), serving, car rides just to go on a drive with no plan but a packed lunch, and the only honest card player out there! (Our family is good at cheating but he never did.) He touched many people’s lives and will be greatly missed by all. He joined his parents Ralph Goodwin and Julia Margaret Shaw as well as his best friend Eddie Jackson in Heaven. He is survived by his wife Patricia Ann Theresa Shaw; brother, David (Barbara) Shaw; sons, Stephen (Emily), Michael (Dana), Richard (Brianna) and John (TBA); grandchildren, Joel, Spencer, Jadyn, Evelyn, Evan, Ayva, Garrett, and Liam Shaw. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday, April 23, 2013, at 11:00 am at the American Fork 9th Ward Chapel, 673 East 300 North, American Fork, Utah, where a Viewing will be held prior from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. Interment in the American Fork City Cemetery. Funeral Directors: Utah Valley Mortuary. LIFE SKETCH: Alexander John Goodwin Shaw was born on 22 February 1949 in Ndola, Northern Rhodesia (now Ndola, Zambia) to Julia Margaret Walton (born in Bombay, India) and Ralph Goodwin Shaw (born in Bromley, Kent, England). Julia had one brother named Alexander James Proctor Walton, which is the origin for his first name, and John Goodwin after his paternal grandfather John Goodwin Shaw. At the age of 5, the family moved from Ndola to Salisbury in Southern Rhodesia. They lived for a short time in a suburb called Belvedere where Alec learned to ride a bike. Once he was a little too confident and decided to ride on the lawn around the garden and fell into his father’s beloved rose bushes; an early learning experience. Within 3 years the family moved to another home in the suburb of Milton Park. The house had an inlaw apartment where maternal grandma Walton lived. From here Alec completed most of his early schooling: Kindergarten and Junior School at Blakiston (2 blocks to the north), and High School at Prince Edward (about 6 blocks to the south). He and his brother, David, rode their bicycles to school almost every day of their entire school life. His parents owned this same house until they emigrated to the U.S.A. in 1982. Alec’s last teacher at Blakiston help him develop an interest in math and science which lasted through high school. This teacher tried, and failed, to make Alec a better speller. They would have spelling tests every week and he would get spanked for each word he got wrong - he left school being owed many, but still liked him as a teacher. His school years at Junior School taught him Reading, Riting, and Rithmetic, geography, history, art, music, & sports. He remembered great emphasis on learning the times-tables and had speed test in maths every week. Maths and geography were his favorite subjects. During breaks (recess) they would play in the fields and the main activities were miniature cricket, soccer, and marbles. Alec also remembered trying out for the school choir and was told that he was a grunt and was not accepted. He was a better swimmer and swam on the school team. Swimming was compulsory and everyone had to learn how to swim. One of his favorite pranks, for which he would get into trouble, was to throw paper water balloons out of the upstairs bathroom at people outside. In junior school they were taught to write beginning with pencils and then fountain pens. First printing and then cursive with a very uniform style. Great emphasis was put on writing neatly and so Alec practiced a lot. He wrote left handed and was made to turn my hand around and not hold it above the writing as many lefties do. This was good because when he started using a fountain pen he would have been smudging the ink as he wrote. Prince Edward was an all boys “senior” school. When he started at there (about age 13) everyone was tested and then assigned classes. The highest performers were put in A stream and the lowest in F with M being an overflow of top students between A and B. Alec remembered being assigned to either M or B. The subjects were more limited than in the U.S.A., but everyone took english, maths, history, geography, Latin (2 years), language (French or Afrikaans), physical education, and choices in science, art, woodworking, drama. Throughout all of the years of school all students wore uniforms. There was serious punishments for incomplete or sloppy wearing of these uniforms, even outside of school hours and off school property. During the first three years of high school his best friend was Paul Birkett - the two had a couple of main goals in most of what they did – to make a bigger bang and to build a better radio. They were lucky that we did not hurt themselves making these explosions (except Alec receiving a black eye and singeing off his eyebrows trying to get a bunsen burner to light). He and Paul did not spend as much time together in their last year of high school as Paul started going to parties and became interested in girls...Alec was way too shy. Alec remembered a few other best friends: Kim Hecht (JS), David Thalrose (JS/ HS), Roger Bowden, Neil Douglas (Scouts), Derek Howson (Scouts), Peter Laithwaite (Scoutmaster). Alec belonged to the 15th Blakiston Boy Scout Troop sponsored by Blakiston school. He loved scouts; his favorite activities being camping, pioneering, and orienteering. He enjoyed climbing a huge avocado tree in the backyard of his home and during in-season the family gave away what they couldn’t eat of the avocado crop. Alec would have an avocado each day after school where he would cut it in half, added salt, pepper and vinegar and scoop it out with a spoon. Alec continued to love avocados for snacks and with meals throughout his life. Alec also enjoyed learning the inner-workings of cars and all things mechanical from his father and they often worked on car troubles together. Alec attempted to repair his bike pedal on one occasion, but couldn’t get the ball bearings back into the pedals and was worried about what would happen when his father returned. His dad laughed and showed him the proper way - using grease to hold them in place - to repair the pedal. He realized the importance of learning from someone with knowledge and experience. Over the years, Alec became a regular handyman and became the experienced guide; teaching his sons and grandchildren. Alec’s mother worked for the local airline, and so the family took many trips through the years, mostly to England to visit relatives, but others to Rome, Italy; Madrid, Spain; Switzerland; Lisbon, Portugal and several to parts of South Africa and Mozambique. After high school, Alec studied at the Salisbury Polytechnic and the Ministry of Roads where he started his work life working for several years as a surveyor in Rhodesia, South Africa and Botswana. Early in his work as a surveyor, he was conscripted to serve in the Rhodesian Army in the Corp of Engineers where he had the opportunity to continue his skills with explosives by doing some bridge demolition as well as driving boats on the Zambezi river. He was baptized a member of the LDS church in Salisbury in 1976 just before he left Africa to come to Brigham Young University where he obtained bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Electrical Engineering - finishing in 1983. Alec and Pat had their first official date on October 29, 1977, to a foreign student activity in SLC, UT, followed by a concert by the Utah Symphony. However, they previously met briefly in Bulawayo, Rhodesia, while he was working there. They were at the home of the Thwaits who were trying to fellowship him. On October 2, 1977, Alec submitted his mission papers and was called to serve in the Massachusetts, Boston, Mission. He was originally called to serve to the South Africa Johannesburg Mission but was changed to Boston, because he would have been called into the military, as he was officially a resident of South Africa. Alec served his mission from January 12, 1978 to December 23, 1979. Their area split and his mission became the Connecticut Hartford Mission. Alec and Pat got engaged in October 1980 and were married on December 20, 1980. They had their first son, Stephen, in October 1981. Michael was born in May 1983. Alec, Pat and their 2 sons had to move back to South Africa in 1983. Their third son, Richard, was born in December 1984. Alec worked for Fuchs Electronics in Alberton. The family returned back to the US in 1985 to New Jersey. In 1987 they bought their home in Hazlet, NJ, where John was born (August 1988). Alec became an excellent engineer for Bell Telephone Labs in the USA, designing and building products for telecommunications including becoming an early contributor to software for VoIP telephony in the mid-1990s. He became part of a small internal startup inside Lucent Technologies called elemedia. In 2001, Alec took an early retirement from Lucent Technologies. The family moved to American Fork, UT, to have a change of scenery for their sons. Stephen was serving a mission to the Milan Italy Mission and returned to his family in American Fork. Soon after moving to Utah, Alec became a part owner of a business, called Agora Labs, that was spun out from Lucent to continued to serve the customers of elemedia after it was dissolved. During his retirement, Alec and Pat served a service mission creating humanitarian packets for nearly 2 years in American Fork. Alec loved his sweetheart, Pat, and his family. He prayed often for them, for their safety and for them individually with the struggles in their lives. He often offered guidance and counsel and would assist in any way he could. Alec enjoyed spending time with his family. He loved playing games, such as Hands and Feet, and was the only one who would not cheat! Food was a great reason for a family get together, whether around a BBQ or enjoying Sizzler, and everything in between. He would talk technology, politics, the Gospel, and more and always focused on the things that would help bring joy and happiness to everyone. Alec shared his love for woodworking with his grandchildren and often took them to the Home Depot Workshops each month or had them help make wood crafts in his workshop. Alec loved listening to music and inspirational talks and enjoyed good, wholesome family movies. He wasn’t known to turn away a bowl of ice cream or a cold otter pop. Everyone who knew Alec knew him as a kind and giving person. No matter what kind of service was needed, he would do all that he could to help. He found joy in helping others and making their load lighter, hoping it would help ease their worries. His character was strong with the love of Christ and it radiated as he served. In 2006, Alec was diagnosed with cancer. He was such a strength to his family and friends, showing service and kindness throughout his whole life, even in his sickness. His life was his testimony of his love and devotion to the Gospel and to our Savior, Jesus Christ. He will truly be missed but will also stand as an example and as a hero to many. “I sure do love the Savior” ~ Alec Shaw