Gale Elaine Shaw

Gale Elaine Shaw

1939 – 2023

Gale Elaine Shaw, 83, of Buena Vista, Colorado passed away on June 3, 2023 at her home in Buena Vista. She was born on November 5, 1939 in Scranton, PA to Cecil and Phyllis Patterson. She lived in Lake Ariel, PA her entire childhood, graduating from Lake Ariel Consolidated High School in 1957. She then moved to New Jersey to attend the Katherine Gibbs Secretarial School.  Her first professional job was in New York City at ABC Television where she eventually became the Secretary to the President of the network.  While in New York City she met ABC lawyer Steve Shaw, at the famous Toots Shor bar where she was mingling with coworkers.  After a short courtship, Gale married Steve Shaw on March 30, 1963 in Lake Ariel, Pennsylvania.  They were married for almost 54 years at the time of his death in 2017.

Steve and Gale moved to Steve’s home state of Oklahoma shortly thereafter to start a business.  They had their two daughters, Linda and Karen, while living in Oklahoma City.  Other residences throughout the years included Durango, CO; Tulsa, OK; Steamboat Springs, CO; and Colorado Springs, CO before building their dream home in 1998 in the beautiful mountain town of Buena Vista, on land that had been in Steve’s family for decades.

She had many hobbies including reading books from her extensive home library, tap dancing with the “Heart and Sole Tappers” group in Buena Vista, aerobics at the local Community Center, playing card games like Uno and gin rummy, watching the birds outside her house, and playing piano.  She loved listening to music, especially when Elvis, Neil Diamond, Anne Murray or Barry Manilow was playing.  She was a lifelong fan of monster movies and enjoyed watching “The Walking Dead” with her teenaged grandson in her later years.  Although she loved Buena Vista, she enjoyed trips to Denver to visit her daughters, son-in-law and grandchildren.  While in Denver, she loved to visit art museums and see shows at the Performing Arts Complex or at a movie theater.  She was a diehard OU Sooners football fan, never missing a game on TV.  She was thrilled when her favorite OU Quarterback, Jalen Hurts, went to the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this year.  She volunteered her time as Secretary of the Chaffee County Republican Women’s group and as the “cat lady” at the Ark-Valley Humane Society.  She was very passionate about preventing animal abuse and in her last days said that friends and family could honor her by donating their time or resources to a local animal shelter or to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Gale is survived by daughters Linda Shaw and Karen (Greg) Kitto, all of Denver; grandchildren Cullyn Shaw, Evi Hager, Landon Kitto and Mallory Kitto of Denver; brother Gary (Elisa) Patterson of Azusa, California; brother-in-law Joe (Gina) Shaw of Albuquerque, New Mexico; nieces Romy (Tim) Keegan and Rachel (Joel) Sanchez of Albuquerque, and her aunt Ellie Green of Knoxville, Tennessee. She is preceded in death by her parents and her husband, Steve Shaw.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Buena Vista with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ark-Valley Humane Society, The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or the Congregational United Church of Christ, 217 Crossman Avenue, Buena Vista. Lewis and Glenn Funeral Home of Buena Vista is assisting the family with arrangements. Please visit www.lewisandglenn.com to leave a condolence or remembrance for Mrs. Shaw’s family.

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