William Shaw

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Greatest Generation lost another of its own with the passing of World War II veteran William Henry Shaw on Friday, Aug. 25, 2017. He passed away holding the hand of his wife of 70 years and surrounded by his loving family.

Funeral services will be Saturday at the Memorial Funeral Home in Columbia. Visitation will be at 12:30 p.m., with a memorial service following at 1:30 p.m. Inurnment will be in the Memorial Park Cemetery, for the family.

Bill Shaw was born March 10, 1925, in Illmo to William Henry and Rose Missouri Shaw. He graduated from Illmo High School in 1942. On Oct. 26, 1946, in Illmo, he married Marta Jo Sitton, the love of his life.

Bill served in the U.S. Army from 1943 to 1946, as part of the 240th Field Artillery Battalion, in World War II and was awarded four bronze stars for campaigns in France, Belgium and Germany, including the Battle of the Bulge. He was chosen to represent his unit in the Allied victory march down the Champs Elysees celebrating the liberation of Paris. In 2014, he was presented the Chevalier De La Legion D’Honneur, awarded by the French government in appreciation for his service to France in World War II.

In 1949, Bill graduated from the Rolla (Missouri) School of Mines and Metallurgy with a degree in civil engineering. During his 39-year career with the Missouri Highway Department, he served as district engineer in Sikeston and division engineer-construction in Jefferson City, in addition to serving as president of the State Highway Employees Association of Missouri. In 1987, he retired as assistant to the chief engineer.

Following retirement, he served on the board of trustees for the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Retirement System as the first retiree representative to the board and later designated as a board member emeritus.

He was preceded in death by six sisters, Gussie Shafer, Helen Endrizzi, Mildred Russell, Emma Lea Fremont, Hazel Kitchens and Rose Willetta Beardslee; and one brother, Dr. Robert C. (Mary Ann) Shaw.

Survivors include his wife of nearly 71 years, Marta Jo Sitton Shaw; three children, Paula Rae (Gary) Hudspeth of Columbia, William Douglas (Suzanne) Shaw of Sikeston and Mark Stephen (Cyndy) Shaw of Edmond, Oklahoma; six grandchildren, Kathy Jo Rose of Springfield, Gina Chere (Corey) Crane of Parkville, Missouri, Joel Douglas (Jean) Shaw of St. Louis, Marshall Lee Shaw of Breckenridge, Colorado, John William (Natalie) Shaw of Boulder, Colorado, and Mark Wyley Shaw of Edmond; and nine great-grandchildren, Lauren, Mason and Kinleigh Rose, Lucas, Devin, Mallory and Barrett Crane and Andrew and Henry Shaw.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Disabled American Veterans, www.dav.org.