Ila Shaw

A Memorial Service for Ms. Ila Pearl Shaw, 78 of Cookeville will be held Saturday November 9th at 1 p.m. in the Cookeville Chapel of Hooper-Huddleston & Horner Funeral Home. Ms. Shaw died Sunday October 27, 2013 at Bethesda Health Care Center. She was born July 4, 1935 in Jackson, TN to the late James William and Ila Pearl Hale Shaw. She attended high school in Lebanon and Jackson, where she graduated from Jackson High School. While there she sang, played violin, and was captain of the basketball team. She also won an award from the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) for a poem she wrote there. Ms. Shaw attended Union University on a music scholarship where she participated heavily in the performing arts. She became president of the Chi Omega sorority and was voted most likely to succeed. After graduation, Ms. Shaw went to Auburn University where she pursued a Masters in English. Later she moved to New York City where she worked for a management consulting firm, eventually going to work for the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C. She taught for the Department of Mines in Beckley, WV and then returned to Washington, D.C. where she worked for the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (later the Department of Health and Human Services) editing investigative reports for the Office of the Inspector General until she retired in 1998. After an accident in 2001, Ms. Shaw moved to Morningside of Cookeville where until resided until her death. In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by a brother, Dr. James William Shaw. Survivors include her son, Adam Shaw and wife Lynn of Dearborn, MI; two granddaughters, Mackenna and Ember Shaw; brother, David Shaw and wife Jan of Cookeville; sister, Sarah Cliett of Danielsville, GA; sister-in-law Pat Shaw of Cookeville (widow to Dr. James Shaw), five nephews and nieces, Dr. John Shaw and wife Lynne, Dr. Merri Shaw Collins and husband Dr. Reid Collins, Stephen Shaw and wife Anne , Mark Shaw, and Susan Shaw; five great-nephews and great-nieces, Will, Sam and Lily Shaw and Isaac and Rachel Collins. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Humane Society.