John Francis Shaw Sr.

John “Jack” Francis Shaw, Sr. of Laurel, MD died peacefully on Wednesday, May 29, 2019 at the age of 85. 

Jack is survived by his wife Teresa (Tracy) of Laurel, MD; his son John and daughter-in-law Robin of Savage, MD; his son Michael and daughter-in-law Jeannie of Baltimore, MD; his daughter Denise of Laurel, MD; his son Daniel of Bryn Mawr, PA; his daughter Meghan (Hogge) and son-in-law Bryan of Falls Church, VA; his son Kevin and daughter-in-law Alyssa of Bethesda, MD; his son Marty of Washington, D.C.; and his 9 grandchildren:  Johnny, Willy, Dillon, Brendan, Nathaniel, Nicole, Andrew, Emily and Matthew; and 3 great grandchildren.  He is preceded in death by his first wife Mary Rose Iacoboni of Baltimore, MD; his two brothers, Joseph of Baltimore, MD and James of Glen Burnie, MD; and his beloved Labrador Retrievers Molly and Sadie.

Jack was born on June 24, 1933 in Baltimore, MD to parents Joseph Shaw and Catherine DeBoy Shaw; the second of 3 sons.  He received his secondary education at St. Charles College and Seminary in Baltimore, completed his Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy at St. Mary’s Seminary and University in 1955, and his Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1957.  Jack served 3 years in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1960.  Semper Fi. He received his Juris Doctor degree in 1963 from the University of Baltimore School of Law.  He served 8 years in the FBI during which he lived in Cleveland, OH, Indianapolis, IN, Monterey, CA and Hillsdale, NJ.   He ultimately parted ways with the Bureau when he successfully sued then-Director of the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover in Federal Court, with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union.  He continued his career in Federal Law Enforcement at the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Immigration and Naturalization Service, retiring in 1998.

Jack was a true son of Maryland, a devoted husband and father, a patriot, and a devout Catholic.  He was a lifelong fan of the Redskins and the Orioles, though his loyalty was often unrequited.  His favorite activities included making egg-in-the-hole, and later, omelet breakfasts, on weekends for his family, going through boxes of red pens to transform and elevate his children’s elementary school essays to a level at which a Nobel laureate would be proud, heckling referees at his sons’ soccer games (which he never missed), directing his army of children in the character building exercises of lawn maintenance and snow removal, and trying to remember the names of his 7 children and 9 grandchildren (whom he loved very much).

He died knowing that Johnny Cash was the greatest recording artist to ever live, that a man should have a go-to drink, and that drink should be bourbon, that the Marines are the most feared fighting force in the world, and that he was truly loved and will be forever missed by his wife and family. 

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