Eugene 'Gene' J. Shaw

Eugene 'Gene' J. Shaw, 90, of Litchfield, MN died on Saturday, July 12, 2014 at Ecumen Gloria Dei in Litchfield, MN. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:00 AM on Thursday, July 17, 2014 at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield, MN. A visitation will be held from 4:00 - 7:00 PM on Wednesday at the Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home in Litchfield, MN with a 7:00 Prayer Service. Interment will be held at St. Gertrude's Catholic Cemetery in Forest City, MN. Military Honors provided by the Litchfield Military Honor Guard. Memorials are preferred to the Litchfield Area Hospice or the Church of St. Philip. Eugene 'Gene' John Shaw, the son of James and Rose (Crusoe) Shaw, was born on February 14, 1924 in Forest City, MN. He graduated from Litchfield High School in 1942. In 1943, he was united in marriage to the love of his life, Esther Kipf at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield and entered the Army Air Forces, where he served as a Altitude Chamber Technician in Lincoln, NE until he was honorably discharged in 1946. Together they moved to Litchfield where he drove truck for First District for seven years. He began working for Anderson Chemical where he managed and maintained the companies truck fleet. In 1977 he moved to Minneapolis and ran the truck fleet maintenance for Gelco Company and later worked with Boyer Ford. Throughout his life, Gene and Esther enjoyed traveling throughout the United States and made several trips to Europe. Together, they lived in Minneapolis, Forest Lake, Shoreview and St. Paul. Following Esther's death, Gene returned to Litchfield where he was near his family and friends. His daughter Sherry, was the apple of his eye, and he adored his two granddaughters. He was a member of the Church of St. Philip and a lifetime member of the American Legion. Gene was a natural leader and a man of integrity who demanded performance, while always having a forgiving heart. He enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins, traveling, spending time with his family and will be remembered as an excellent storyteller. Gene is survived by his son-in-law Ronald (Elayne) Engebretsen of Eden Prairie, MN; two granddaughters, Anne (Cliff) Burke of West St. Paul, MN and Jessica Engebretsen of Plymouth, MN; and many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents James and Rose; wife Esther; daughter Sherry; an infant sister; sister Marie; and brothers, Thomas, Francis, Edward, and Bernard.Previous Events Visitation Wednesday, July 16, 2014 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM Johnson-Hagglund Funeral Home 316 Sibley Avenue South Litchfield, MN 55355 Visitation Thursday, July 17, 2014 11:00 AM St. Philip's Catholic Church 821 east 5th street Litchfield, MN 55355 Visitation Thursday, July 17, 2014 1:15 PM St. Gertrude Catholic Cemetery 650th Avenue Forest City, MN 55355