Ralph Shaw Obituary

Ralph C. Shaw Jr. passed away peacefully on Sunday, June 5, 2022 at Accent Health Hospice in Largo, Florida with his wife, Diana, by his side. He fought the fight against Parkinsons Disease with courage, strength and diginity.

Ralph was born in Cumberland, Maryland to the late Ralph C. Shaw Sr. and Erna Margaret Naill.

Mr. Shaw was a Morrisville fixture for over 52 years at Shaw's Garage, which started out as a Texaco Gas Station on West Trenton Avenue and which he owned along with his father, Ralph C. Shaw Sr. and brother, Gary R. Shaw. It was later determined they needed a bigger location and in 1965 moved to 900 Lincoln Highway where they focused on auto repair beginning with the "Big Rigs" and later switching to automobiles. They were the first business in the area to have an emissions machine which was required to complete PA state inspections of motor vehicles.

In later years, Ralph and Gary drove snow plows in the winter. The two brothers were best friends and had a love of race cars. When they weren't working they would do anything they could to make their cars go faster. They enjoyed spending Sunday's at Atco Speedway where Ralph raced at the age of 77. The "Black Witch" went so fast that he asked for a shot of vodka to calm his nerves. After his brother, Gary, passed working and racing just weren't the same for Ralph.

Ralph also loved his family, Nascar, baseball, the beach and all animals especially dogs and horses. Ralph would take vacations to Ocean City, MD and the Outer Banks of North Carolina just to see the horses. His brother had a horse, Little Joe, that Ralph and his family would go to visit after Gary had passed. Little Joe later went to an organization that helps autistic children.

Ralph was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Erna; brother, Gary; his former wife, Margaret (Woodroffe) Shaw; grandson, William Woodroffe and granddaughter, Danielle Nicol.

Ralph leaves behind his wife and best friend, Diana Shaw (Corbyon); his faithful service dog, Dozer; his first wife, Judy Shaw; and daughters, Kimberly Spinks, Laura Schmidt and Jennifer Ostrosky (Wayne) as well as his stepchildren, Barbara Henry (Mike), John Woodroffe (Mary), Margaret Mongillo (Chris), Bill Woodroffe (Sue), Joe Woodroffe (Renee), Thomas (Kim) Woodroffe, Joshua Corbyon (fiance, Mary) and Peter Lorchak (Katie); nephew Curtis J. Shaw; niece, Melissa Shanteau; great nephew Preston Shaw; sister-in-law, Christine Sackett (Russell); and cousin, Robert "Bud" Shaw (Sis). He will also be missed by his 28 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 3 great great grandchildren.

Ralph also leaves behind his friends and racing buddies, John Hatch, Bill Loftus Sr., Robert Lambeck, John Asta, Ronald Soto, Wynnette Goodnow, Linda Szymkowski, Holly Hewchuk and Anthony Barrett. He will be missed by many.

Family and friends are invited to call on Friday, July 8, 2022, from 7:00 until 9:00 pm and again on Saturday, July 9, 2022, from 10:00 until 11:00 am at the James J. Dougherty Funeral Home, Inc., 2200 Trenton Road, Levittown, where his funeral service will be held at 11:00 am. Interment will follow in Rosedale Memorial Park, Bensalem.