Grace Shaw

Grace Douma Shaw passed away on Thursday, December 17, 2020. Born on August 28, 1922 in Ottumwa, Iowa, she was the oldest child of educators Frank Walter and Ruth Hartzell Douma. Graduating from Coe College (Cedar Rapids IA) in three years during WW II, she embarked on a teaching career on her 21st birthday. She taught high school history, directed the women’s dormitory at Coe College, earned her master’s degree from UW-Madison, and eventually became the Assistant to the Dean of Women, Louise Troxell, at UW in 1949.  She met and married Joseph Lee Shaw in 1951. She left the workforce to raise three children, returning to the campus in 1963 as Assistant Dean in the College of Letters and Science, a position she held until her retirement in 1990. During those years she was an officer in the Midwest Association for Pre-Law Advisors and the assistant director of the L&S Faculty Advising Service. She loved her work in South Hall, loved her colleagues, loved the campus community, and loved Madison.

Grace took seriously her responsibility to help make the world a better place. She volunteered with many organizations, from being a room mother at her children’s elementary school, serving as the moderator of First Congregational UCC, serving on scholarship committees, serving on the Madison Public Library Board of Directors, to organizing many book sales for the Friends of the Madison Public Library and volunteering with the League of Women Voters and PEO. She and Joe were frequent audience members at performances of the Madison Symphony, Madison Opera, Theater Guild, Savoyards, and American Players Theatre. Grace enjoyed being outdoors and traveling.  During their early retirement years, Grace and Joe made several trips to Europe.

Grace and Joe were loving parents to Ruth, Jon, and David, supporting their studies, making sure they all had music lessons, and bringing them up to contribute to their community.

In recent years Grace has lived at Middleton Glen and Attic Angels retirement communities. Her family is appreciative of the care she received from the Attic Angels staff and from Agrace Hospice.

Grace was preceded in death by her husband, Joe, who passed in 2010, her brother, Frank, and her sister-in-law, Lucille. She is survived by her children, Ruth (Rick) Striegel, Jonathan (Rhonda) Shaw, and David (Cynthia) Shaw; grandchildren, Scott (Callie Tompkins) Striegel, Robert (Aubrey Treese) Shaw, Carolyn Shaw, and Ryan Shaw; her brother, Wallace (Peggy) Douma; nieces and nephews, Elizabeth Douma, Frank (Lynn) Douma, Anne Douma, Peter Douma, Gretchen (Nina Auerbach) Douma, Erica Douma, Frank (Melissa) Douma, Zach Douma, and Kalli Douma.

A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, July 14th, 2021 at Olbrich Botanical Gardens, 3330 Atwood Ave., Madison, in the Atrium Room beginning at 1:30 pm.

The family would welcome your contributions to organizations Grace loved:

First Congregational United Church of Christ: http://firstcongmadison.org/

Madison Public Library Lakeview Endowment: http://mplfoundation.org/donate/

Agrace Hospice Care: http://agrace.org/donate/