Albert Park Shaw III

     Albert Park Shaw III was born in 1946.

Thursday, July 3, 2003

Realtor A. Park Shaw Cared for N.M. Vitality

By Paul Logan
Journal Staff Writer
A. Park Shaw III was fearless in speaking out about issues affecting New Mexico's economic vitality, a friend said.
Shaw, a former Albuquerque commercial real estate broker, died Friday at his South Valley home of bone marrow cancer, which first was diagnosed in 1994. Shaw was 56.
A celebration of his life will be held later this year, said Cassandra Shaw, his wife of 21 years.
Shaw was active in the Association of Commerce and Industry, said John Carey, the association's president.
"He had an incredible passion and spirit ... for the important statewide issues that we cover — health care, economic development, water and taxation," Carey said.
"He never was afraid to speak out on issues."
Shaw served on ACI's board of directors from 1992 until his death. Most recently, he was on the executive committee.
Carey said Shaw successfully lobbied to create a separate ACI committee on water issues. He said Shaw felt in 1999 that water "was becoming an important issue in the state."
Carey said his friend was full of energy, full of life and always cheerful.
Shaw attended the annual ACI retreat last month in Ruidoso. Although he was not feeling well, he participated in the event, Carey said.
"He showed tremendous courage and tenacity to make that two-day meeting ... even though he was enduring pain," Carey said.
Shaw served on Sen. Pete Domenici's Small Business Advocacy Council since 1988.
Domenici said Shaw was "a great, great, great friend. To know him is to know and see persistence and tenacity ... He never gave up."
"I used to marvel because I would know how sick he was from sources, but he always appeared and acted like there was nothing wrong with him and he was going to conquer the world. He was an incredible guy."
Shaw was a muscular 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. His good physical condition allowed him to undergo an aggressive cancer treatment in 1995. The cancer didn't surface again until 2000, his wife said.
She said her husband had a "huge amount of energy" and would throw himself into anything he undertook with a focus and spirit that people could not believe.
"He was very, very sharp ... absolutely ethical," she said. "He would never do anything that was in any way not the right thing to do."
Born Albert Park Shaw III in Hartford, Conn., he was stationed at Fort Bliss in El Paso in the late 1960s during the Vietnam War. Shaw was undergoing intelligence training and was learning to speak Vietnamese when he was injured in a traffic accident while on his way to language school.
He nearly lost his left leg and was hospitalized for more than a year, his wife said.
After he left the Army, Shaw went on to earn a geology degree in 1974 and worked for Union Carbide as a uranium geologist in New Mexico.
Later, while owner of an Old Town clock shop, he met and married his wife. They did not have children.
Shaw became a commercial real estate broker and worked at Hooten Stahl for a number of years, eventually becoming vice president of commercial real estate, his wife said.
She said her husband was a big booster for the South Valley. He founded the South Valley Chamber of Commerce in 1988 and served as its president for several terms.
"A large piece of his life was the Junior Chamber (of Commerce)," his wife said.
Shaw was president of the Albuquerque Jaycees in 1981.
Gov. Bruce King named Shaw "Outstanding Volunteer of New Mexico" in 1982.
He also served on the Governor's Business Advisory Council from 1995-2003.
Copyright 2003 Albuquerque Journal





A. Park Shaw III (Park), 56, died at his home in Albuquerque on Friday, June 27, 2003 after a long battle with multiple myeloma. He is survived by his wife of 21 years, Cassandra Claire Hudson Shaw.

Park was active in the Vine and Wine Society for a number of years. Our thoughts are with Cassandra.
He died 27 June 2003, in Albuquerque, New Mexico at age 57 years.