Ivan Lee Shaw, Sr.

Ivan Lee Shaw, Sr. age 49 years of Niles, Michigan, father, grandfather, son, brother, hard worker, amateur comedian, and family guy died altogether too young on Wednesday evening, August 24, 2022 in Edwardsburg, Michigan.

He was born on January 27, 1973 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Gary Dean Shaw, Sr. and Violet Marie Caswell.  He came to Edwardsburg as a child, attended Edwardsburg Schools, and has lived in this area most of his life.  He learned most of the trades in RV manufacturing, and over the years, was employed by several leading RV plants in the Elkhart area.

Ivan was raised in the Catholic Church, mostly at Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Edwardsburg, where he was baptized and served as an altar boy.  He continued to attend Our Lady Church, but less frequently, and also visited the Granger (Indiana) Community Church where some of his children are active.  He enjoyed hunting in the area, and fishing both nearby waters and up at Baldwin, Michigan or on Lake Michigan.  He split enough wood to heat his house and to feed campfires and his line-up of barbeque grills and smokers.

He was a familiar face at area auctions, but was equally resourceful as a roadside picker, usually having in-mind a parts list for the current or next project that he was working on at home.  One of those projects was a homemade smoker which has become a regular tool in his backyard kitchen.  He could cook anything including fish, but was best known for his pulled pork.

Ivan enjoyed visiting with folks and telling jokes.  He was “the life of the party” and wherever he went became a party.  He “read his audience” well, and selected jokes and stories that would result in the best response.  His most important audience was his family.

Ivan was always willing to help-out anyone who asked, and even if they didn’t.  All of his family and friends knew that they could count on Ivan if the needed anything including house and vehicle repairs, a ride or tow, or even just a good talk.  He will be missed by many.

He was sadly preceded in death by a son, Steven Alexander in 2020, by his father, Gary Dean Shaw, Sr., and by a brother, Earl Dean Shaw.

Surviving family includes his children, Ivan Randall (& Amber) Shaw, Jr. of Osceola, Indiana, Saydi Joyce Shaw, Paul Cronin, and Brittany (& Russell) Allan, all of Granger, Indiana, Bryan Cronin of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Sabrina (& Robert) Cronin of Osceola, Nicole Caputo of Granger, and Bradley (& Jessica) Cronin of Daytona Beach, Florida; grandchildren, Izabella, Ivan, Jr., Logan, and Ivy Shaw, Jacob Dylan and Brooklynn Cronin, Adelynn and Lucas Allan, Madison Grzywacz, Adrienne Cronin, Isaac Cronin, and Domanic Burnham; Ivan, Sr.'s mother, Violet M. Caswell of Lake Wales, Florida; and Ivan, Sr.’s siblings, Gary Wallace (& Tracy) Shaw of Edwardsburg, Hope Violet (& Jeff) Eck of Osceola, Brenda Theleca (& Jeff) Clark of Edwardsburg, Angel Shaw of Edwardsburg, and Gary Dean Shaw, Jr., of Niles, and many nieces and nephews including Josh and Jon who visited Ivan Sr. regularly.  He is also survived by his longtime companion, Cheryl Reynolds.

The Mass of Christian Burial for Ivan Lee Shaw, Sr. will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, August 30, 2022 at Our Lady of the Lake Church, 24832 U.S. Highway 12 in Edwardsburg by the Rev. Pangiraj J. Nathan, MSFS of the parish.  Committal Rites will follow at the Adamsville Cemetery.

The family will receive relatives and friends on Tuesday, at the church, beginning at Noon.  Contributions in memory of Ivan, Sr. may be made to the Beacon Children’s Hospital, 615 North Michigan Street, South Bend, Indiana, 46601, https://foundation.beaconhealthsystem.org/give-now/ .  Arrangements were completed at the Halbritter-Wickens Funeral Home, 615 East Main Street in Niles. Online condolences may be left at:

www.halbritterwickens.com

Ivan, Sr. clearly enjoyed life, loving to be the life of the party, and loving to spend quality time with his family and friends. Certainly “01 Shaw Boy” lived by the command to love God and love people.