On April 5, 2021, Kenneth Leslie Shaw, beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away at age 80 in Hua Hin, Thailand. Ken was predeceased by his wife and best friend of over 50 years, Jane (nee Almond); parents, Fred and Lillian (nee Bryanton); and brothers, Wayne, Terry and Dean. He is lovingly remembered by his son, Gregory (Aom) of Hua Hin, Thailand; daughter, Angela, currently of Houston, USA; and his dearly loved grandchildren, Matthew, Alexander and Eden. Ken’s memory is also cherished by brothers, Jim, Allan (Rita) and Frank; sisters, Linda (Gary), Freda (Kent) and Karen (Doug); sister-in-law, Janice and brother-in-law, Ian (Brenda) along with their families and numerous friends all over the world.

Born on December 22, 1940 in Rimbey, Alberta, Ken was the second eldest of ten kids and grew up on the family farm. Coming from humble beginnings, he credited his parents for his strong work ethic and love of family, gardening and sports. Fond childhood memories included riding the family horse with his brothers to school, walking backwards in snow to see footprints from his first pair of new shoes, churning butter to sell in town for candy and games of shinny (hockey) on homemade rinks in the winter. Everyone who knew Ken has a story or two about his impish nature, and these stories start young. A family favourite was a failed childhood attempt to flood the schoolhouse by plugging the bathroom sink and turning on the water. When asked recently why he did it, Ken replied, matter-of-factly, “I just wanted to see how long it would take to fill up the building”. This innate curiosity would eventually lead him to engineering and a lifelong love for building, tinkering and inventing.

The only male in his graduating class, Ken showed up to his last grade 12 exam with a suitcase in hand and plan to work in the oil and gas industry. From age 18, he worked as a roustabout on rigs in central Alberta, often living in a tent to save money for college. In 1964, he moved to Calgary to attend SAIT’s Petroleum Engineering Technology programme and it was there he met his future wife, Jane. They lived in the same apartment building and Ken, rooming with three buddies from Rimbey, knocked on her door to ask for a cup of sugar. The pick-up line worked; they were married in September 1965 and eventually went on to have two children, Greg and Angela.

Ken’s long career in oil and gas led the family from western Canada to Dubai (then part of the Trucial States) in 1969 where he helped drill some of the earliest wells in the region. Two years later, the family headed to Singapore where, except for a brief assignment in Seoul, Korea, they lived until 1978. They returned to Calgary for 10 years before Ken and Jane left for Dhaka, Bangladesh. In 1991, it was off to Port Harcourt, Nigeria and then back to Dubai in 1998. A well control expert, Ken spent many years on call, bringing distressed wells under control and building this capacity in others. He worked with companies such as Magcobar Dresser and Noble Drilling, and finished his career running his own oilfield supply company covering the Middle East and North Africa. He loved every minute of it. In 2008, he and Jane, who also worked wherever they lived, finally retired to beach life and golf courses in Hua Hin, Thailand.

Ken loved telling stories of places, journeys and friends, especially over a cold beer. Favourites included his and Jane’s overland drive from Nigeria to Holland in an old Land Rover in 1998. Or when the family inadvertently wound up at "Checkpoint Charlie" during a Sunday drive out of Seoul in the early 1970s. His description of the Marines reacting to a carload of Canadians looking to picnic in what turned out to be the DMZ was priceless. Tales might also have included time spent with friends from around the world or the many characters he had met in the oil patch, or magical moments on beaches in places like Rio, safaris in East Africa, boating around Singapore, gorilla trekking in Rwanda, diving in the Red Sea, cruising down the Nile to see the Valley of the Kings… he lived a full and colourful life and in Jane, he had a lifelong partner who was always up for – if not leading – every single adventure.

A farm boy and family man at heart, Ken never forgot his roots and family was everything. And his grandkids, without a doubt, were his biggest pride and joy. Dad, we count our blessings to have had such a caring, patient and giving father and grandfather. You were our biggest cheerleader and we already miss your stories, sense of humour and fun, and big heart. We will even look back at your questionable taste in music, a point of contention during many a family road trip, with fondness and a misty eye. Here’s hoping you and mom are having a cold one somewhere fabulous in honour of your lives well lived. Rest easy. We love you. And, cheers!

** Friends and family: this site auto-prompts for a donation to a cause and we are unable to remove it. We have chosen Terry Fox Foundation because of the work Ken and Jane did over the years to support that organization and cancer research. Please do not feel obliged to contribute to it or any other - Ken would be just as happy if you told a story in his honour over a beer or two **