Dale L Shaw

DALE LAWRENCE SHAW, 68 ROCKFORD - Dale Lawrence Shaw, 68, born Feb. 26, 1943, to Emmett and Aletha Shaw and predeceased by his sister Marjorie, died suddenly at 2:15 p.m. Saturday, July 23, 2011, after an unexpected illness, surrounded by his loving family and friends. Dale, a lifetime resident of the Rockford/Machesney Park area, is survived by loving wife of 46 years, Mary; son, Jim; daughter-in-law, Jerilyn; and several nieces and nephews he greatly loved. His story is an easy one to tell: a hard-working guy who loved his family and friends, a straight shooter who was honest to a fault, a guy who always had a smile on his face, a man with a heart of gold. Rock River Valley Painting Co. ("the shop"), founded by his father, Emmett, was the epicenter of life for the Shaw family when Dale was growing up. Dale seemed to be a permanent fixture there, helping out until he graduated from Harlem High in 1961. Two choices faced him: full-ride football scholarships or work side by side with his father. An easy choice for a guy like Dale. He dedicated his time to learning the business. It was there, several years later, while doing a job at a local bottling plant, Dale met the love of his life, Mary. Two days in, he said to his dad, "See that girl over there? I'm going to marry her." His dad asked, "What's her name"? He said, "I don't know, she won't talk to me." But soon enough, an introduction was made and for 46 years, they were inseparable, creating a lifetime of memories in the process. Dale reluctantly retired in 2005. For a guy who had worked so hard in his life, taking it easy came naturally. He truly enjoyed the last six years of his life. He spent time fixing forklifts with his great friend, Denny, took road trips to Florida with Mary and enjoyed their retirement together, relaxing in his chair with his dog, Casey, and sleeping to favorite TV shows. He will be missed by so many people whose lives he touched in so many ways. We lost one of the good guys. Life will not be the same without him. If there's anything that can come from his sudden passing, it is this: We never know when our loved ones' time is going to come. It may be their time sooner than we think, so if we don't take the opportunity now to tell the people we love the most how we feel, that opportunity may be gone forever. Services at 10 a.m. Friday, July 29, at Sunset Funeral Home, 8800 N. Alpine Road, with visitation beginning at 9 a.m. To express condolences or memories of Dale, visit sunsetfhmemgardens.com