Richard ‘Dean’ Shaw

Richard “Dean” Shaw, 83, of Peoria, Arizona, peacefully passed on Sunday, August 2, 2026, after valiantly navigating life with kidney cancer the past eight years. 

He was born on January 15, 1943 in Greenfield, Missouri, the only child of Richard E. and Evelyn V. (Batten) Shaw. 

As a descendant of the Shaw, Grisham, Montgomery, Allison, Speer and Hudspeth pioneer families of Dade County, Dean had deep roots in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks. 

He was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart Janet (Baldwin) Shaw on July 14, 1962 and shared 64 wonderful years. 

Working side-by-side since 1970, Dean and Janet managed The Downtown Pancake House, Springfield, Missouri; the Ottawa Country Club, Ottawa, Kansas; Burgeteria/Queen’s Carryout, Ottawa, Kansas and until 2011 owned/operated Blazers Restaurant, Gardner, Kansas, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. 

The Shaws enjoyed their retirement years in sunny Arizona and made Westbrook Village their home for 20-plus years. 

Through the neighborhood’s Roadrunner RV Club, Dean shared his valuable restaurant/catering skills to help plan/organize monthly excursions “on the road in the rigs.” Dean and Janet visited many national parks and U.S. western states while enjoying a special camaraderie with their fellow adventurers. Whether it be by a campfire or in a restaurant booth, Dean was always appreciated for his masterful storytelling which could become rather dramatic depending on the topic. 

If you were talking vehicles, then be prepared...Dean’s passion was cars. Regardless if it was a new or antique motorcar, Dean researched, memorized the specs and knew every option ever offered for the year/make/model. He was quite literally an “Auto Savant” whose idea of winding down after a road trip was to go to the car wash and then perform a good detail. We imagine he is now cruising down Heaven’s highways in a sporty convertible with no stop signs or speed limits in sight!  

Preceding him in death was son Gregory Dean Shaw in 2020. Survivors include his loving wife, Janet, of Peoria, Arizona; daughter, Jana Fevurly and her husband, John, of Scottsdale, Arizona; son, Christopher Shaw and his wife, Kendra of Ponte Vedra, Florida; and daughter-in-law, Angela Casey Shaw of Leawood, Kansas. 

As a proud grandparent, Dean was known as “Pepa” to his Magnificent Seven grandkids: Jack, Justin and Jacob Fevurly of Phoenix, Arizona; Colton and Kamlyn Shaw of Ponte Vedra, Florida; and McKenna and Marley Shaw of Leawood, Kansas.

A visitation will be at 5 p.m. Thursday, September 3, 2026, followed by a casual Celebration of Life at 6 p.m. at Bruce Funeral Home, Gardner, Kansas. 

On Friday, September 4, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. a visitation will take place at the Greenfield Funeral Chapel, Greenfield, Missouri. Burial will be in the Greenfield Cemetery. 

Condolences may be left at www.brucefuneralhome.com 

In lieu of flowers, Dean and his family encourage contributions to the Gardner Edgerton Schools Foundation which administers the annual “Greg Shaw Memorial Scholarship” founded to honor competitive spirit in and outside of the classroom while encouraging students to “reach for the stars” in their future pursuits. To Donate: https://crm.bloomerang.co/HostedDonation?ApiKey=pub_02f5fb