Mr. James " Jimmy" Shaw, age 73 of Collins Road in Lavonia, passed away peacefully at home on Wednesday, October 11, 2023

James Lanham Shaw of Lake Hartwell, GA, better known to his many, many friends and family members as Jimmy, Jim, or Uncle Jimmy, passed away in the late hours of Wednesday October 11th after a long and determined struggle against cancer. Born on November 15, 1949 to Tom and Barbara Shaw of College Park, GA, Jimmy graduated from College Park High School, received a degree in Interior Design from Georgia State University, and was a Staff Sergeant in the GA Air National Guard for six years. Throughout his career he followed his passions for good food, beautiful homes, and interesting travel working at various points as a chef, an interior design consultant, and a travel agent. The throughline of Jimmy’s life—the theme he returned to repeatedly in his jobs and in his home--was hospitality in its purest sense. With Jimmy, you could always rely on the friendly and generous entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers. Jimmy loved people, parties, his family, Lake Hartwell, his neighbors, his friends, his rescue dogs, and both his domesticated and feral cats. And they all loved him in return. They loved the beauty of his décor and the creativity of his holiday trees. They enjoyed his delicious food—from the world’s best deviled eggs to deep-fried lobster tails. They appreciated his barbeques, 4th of July family reunions, all-night card parties, dinner parties, as well as events planned to celebrate more unusual events: a cousin’s winning putt-putt score, his Aunt’s first tomatoes of the season, or the successful purchase of a used car. They enjoyed his sense of adventure and his sense of humor as a travel companion to places near and far. Jimmy was equally at home in New York City, the outer provinces of China, or on a leisurely boat ride around Lake Hartwell. He found beauty and friends everywhere he went. At his core, Jimmy was a kind-hearted, generous, and life-loving spirit.

He has left a number of family members, friends, and animals behind to celebrate the good things he brought to the world. These include his brother and sister-in-law, Tommy and Jane Shaw, who were his strong, loving, and faithful caregivers in the last months of his life, his nephew TW Shaw, his nieces Rachael Shaw Marshall (Andrew), and Rebekah Shaw Thompson (Seth), great-nieces Holland and Laurel Thompson, and great nephew Alistair Marshall. There are also his beloved Aunt Nancy Berry, his cousins Susan, Randy, Jason, Michael (Mary-Catherine), and Richard Riner; Cindy Blanton Weeks (David), Leslie Berry Fortune (Jay), Laura Berry, and Lan Berry (Valarie), as well as more friends than we can list. They all know how much he loved them.

There will be a private interment. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to Hope Lodge which provided a wonderful “home away from home” during Jimmy’s proton treatments https://www.cancer.org/support-programs-and-services/patient-lodging/hope-lodge/atlanta.html, the Northeast Georgia Animal Shelter in Lavonia who supported his much-loved cats https://www.northeastgeorgiaanimalshelter.org/, or the charity of your choice.