William Hamilton Shaw's Obituary
William H. (Bill) Shaw, 61, of Corinth Texas, passed away Friday, Dec. 28, 2024 at University Rehabilitation Center in Denton, Texas while on hospice care and with his wife by his side.
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 25th at Royal Haven Baptist Church, 3700 Valley View Lane, Dallas, TX 75244. A reception in the foyer will follow the service. Private interment of ashes will take place at a later date.
Bill was born May 20, 1963, to Kathleen Wiese Wallace and Hugh Walter Shaw. He married Janet Morphew Shaw, on June 27, 2014 in Lake Forest Park, Denton, Texas.
Bill grew up in Farmers Branch and Dallas, later moving to Austin, Texas, where he attended William B. Travis High School. In school, Bill played football, baseball and soccer, was a Cub Scout and a member of the Youth Conservation Corps where he helped build a hike-and-bike trail in beautiful Mayfield Park in Austin. He became an accomplished BBQ cook at Richard Jones BBQ Pit in Austin and worked there several years.
Bill loved music and taught himself to play guitar (with a little help from his cousin Mike). His guitar hero was Stevie Ray Vaughan. Posters of SRV still adorn the walls of his home. In Dallas, he managed and coached a little league hockey team and played on an adult hockey team.
Upon moving back to Dallas in the early 80’s, Bill was employed at Dallas County Plumbing Supply, learning the craft and business of plumbing and eventually became Branch Manager in Lewisville, Texas. In March 1992, Bill went to work for Levy and Son Plumbing in Dallas, earning his Journeyman Plumber License.
In 2001 Bill earned his Master Plumber License and opened his own business, Shaw Services Inc. He built a successful business, growing it 100% within the first two years. He created a culture with emphasis on customer satisfaction, honesty, and reliability. Bill had a kind Christian heart and would help neighbors and family any time. Many times, he would not invoice certain customers if he knew it was a monetary hardship for them, simply saying “I’ll catch ya next time” or “We’ll talk about it later” with a wink and a tip of his hat. Bill’s sincere desire to help others and his laid-back affable personality earned him a loyal customer base which lasted for 18 years until he closed his business in May 2020.
In June 2020, he went to work at Lowe’s in Plano, Texas as the Plumbing Pro and was awarded the Lowe’s Star Service recognition award during his first month. A heart issue and fall accident at home in Sept. 2020 led to Bill’s early retirement and subsequent problems with vascular dementia which ended his life all too early.
Bill loved spending his free time fishing from his boat with his black lab, Becky, hunting at the family farm in east central Texas, and being with family at home, telling stories and talking about the good ol’ days. At the farm, he loved sitting by the campfire with his Uncle Harlan, and many times would climb into his deer blind in the woods and sit for hours just contemplating life and talking with Jesus. He cheered on the Dallas Stars, Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys and would often play his guitar for background music while watching the games on TV. He enjoyed going to bull-riding events and loved everything John Wayne.
Despite Bill’s ruggedness and family nickname “Bad Dude”, there was a very soft side to him. He adored all dogs especially his black lab Nelly, fell in love with his wife’s cat, cried at the ASPCA and St. Jude commercials, and tenderly pruned his knockout roses. In his most recent years, Bill enjoyed throwing the bumper at the lake for Nelly, walks in the neighborhood park, sitting on the patio watching the backyard wildlife, and listening to music.
Bill was preceded in death by his father; his grandparents William and Eula Shaw, and Woodrow and Lessie Wiese; father-in-law Fred Morphew Jr.; brother-in-law David Riner; and precious cousin Matthew Moreno.
Survivors include his wife; mother and step-father Kathy and Tom Wallace; sister Charla Riner; niece Savannah Bitz; nephews Josh Bitz, Caleb Bitz, and Evan Mattei (Erin); uncles Larry Shaw and Harlan Wiese (Kay); aunts Gynelle Heslep (Jimi) and Lessie Moreno Alva; mother-in-law Majie Morphew; sister-in-law Marilyn Mattei (Earl“Buddy”); and beloved cousins Danielle Wiese, Rebecca Heitman (Luke), Christopher Wiese, Michael Moreno (Kara), Alicia Moreno, and Tony Moreno (Katy).
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Wounded Warrier Project at https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org or St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital https://www.stjude.org or any animal rescue of your choice. We thank you.
What’s your fondest memory of William?
What’s a lesson you learned from William?
Share a story where William's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with William you’ll never forget.
How did William make you smile?