Harry Merle Shaw, 83

Merle Shaw passed away June 26, 2016, of natural causes at age 83 in Oceanside, California.

He was born July 12, 1932. After Flathead County High School he joined the Army and had one son, Neil Shaw, then was stationed in Weisbaden, Germany, for five years and had one daughter there, Linda Shaw. He later came back to the Flathead Valley, working as a Farmers Insurance agent before moving to Helena where he worked at Jorgenson's lounge for several years and Black Sands, having one more daughter there, Dionne Shaw.

He moved to Oceanside where he married the love of his life, Jeanne Hemp, on Feb.15, 1986. They were married for 30 years and loved to drive to Vegas to play bingo and slots. The whole room would light up wherever Merle was with his jokes sense of humor. He loved to bowl and had earned many trophies. Merle had been a member of the Army National Guard his whole life.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Jeanne Shaw, in May 2016; his mother, “Dolly” Alice Shaw, in 1991; his father, Harry Lavern Shaw, in 1961; brothers, Bill and Robert; and sister, Evelyn Shaw.

He is survived by his sister he loved very much, Marlene Freeman, of Kalispell; a son, Neil Shaw, from Kalispell; a daughter, Linda Shaw French, from Missoula; a daughter, Dionne Shaw Giammaria, from Helena; a stepdaughter, Carrie Tuimavave, from Oceanside; stepsons, Thomas and Jerrod Hemp, from Oceanside; and stepson, Samuel Johnson Erickson, from Salt Lake City; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren in Montana and California; and several nieces and nephews.

Cremation has taken place and there will be no services until his ashes come home to Montana to be spread with his wife per their request.