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EMIL SHAW: LABOR, CIVIL RIGHTS AND PEACE ACTIVIST March 3, 1929 - September 12, 2010 Emil Shaw, a lifelong fighter for progressive causes, died on Sunday, September 12th, 2010 at Presbyterian Hospital in Albuquerque from cardiac and related causes at the age of 81. Born in Vienna, Austria of Jewish parents, Emil and his family were persecuted by the Nazis and came to the United States in 1939. His experiences instilled in him a deep hatred of Nazi ideology, racism and inequality in any form, which he fought all his life. Emil strove for a better life for working-class people, becoming a lifelong member of the Communist Party USA. Emil spent his early years in Michigan and 38 years in Brooklyn, where he married and raised his family. Shortly after his marriage, he spent several months in the army during the Korean War, receiving an honorable discharge due to faulty eyesight. Emil had many jobs, but worked for a long period of time in a knitting mill and later became a junior high school shop teacher, obtaining a Bachelors Degree from City College in New York. His activities included leading tenant strikes, union work, organizing buses to Washington for civil rights and Vietnam protests, electoral campaigning, and fighting for senior issues. Emil spent his retirement with his wife, Rose, in New Mexico, where he remained an activist to the end. Emil was known and loved for his corny sense of humor, commitment, dedication, and genuine compassion. He loved the arts and was an avid fisherman. He was a member of SouthWest Organizing Project, AFT New Mexico Retirees, Gray Panthers of Greater Albuquerque, the NM AFL-CIO Retirees Council, and Alliance for Retired Americans. Emil is survived by his wife, Rose; daughter Rebecca Shaw-Gove; son-in-law Geoffrey Gove; son Nathan Shaw; daughter-in-law Sandra Shaw; and grandson Michael Shaw. His ashes will be buried at the Santa Fe National Cemetery. Donations can be made in his name to peoplesworld.org or a charity of choice. Arrangements by Direct Funerals, 2919 4th St, NW, Abq, NM 87107. 505-343-8008.
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