Obituary of Ray Shaw

Ray Shaw ? dedicated husband, father and grandfather -- died early Sunday morning with his family by his side. He was 75. A native of Oklahoma, Shaw was chairman and chief executive officer of Charlotte-based American City Business Journals. Shaw acquired controlling interest in ACBJ, the nation?s largest publisher of local business newspapers, after taking early retirement in 1989 from Dow Jones & Co., where he was president and chief operating officer. He continued to work full-time until his death. Under his guidance, American City more than doubled in size and launched or acquired a number of media properties, including Sports Business Journal, NASCAR Scene and NASCAR Illustrated, Hemmings Motor News and Sporting News as well as local and national business web sites. As he built American City, he remained true to the ideals he thought were most important ? focus on family and adherence to unwavering personal and professional ethical standards. Despite his significant professional success, Shaw?s happiest and proudest times were spent at the family?s vacation home on the Outer Banks, on vacations to Boca Grande, Florida, attending grandparents? days and on the sidelines at Charlotte Country Day School as his grandchildren played sports. Shaw is survived by his wife, Kay; two sons, Whitney and Kirk, and their wives Laura and Tammy, and by his daughter, Beth Shaw Penegar, and her husband Jim. Other survivors include seven grandchildren, Connor, Madison, Andrew, Kammie, Jonathan, Raegan, Geoffrey and his wife, Erin; brothers Robert, Gaylord and sister Pat and a number of nieces and nephews. He is also survived by close friend and fellow gentleman farmer, Johnny Coots. A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday, July 22, 2009 at Myers Park United Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Road, Charlotte. The family will receive friends following the service in Jubilee Hall at the church and at their home afterward. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Habitat for Humanity, PO Box 220287, Charlotte, NC 28222-0287 or the Charlotte Country Day School Booster Club, 1440 Carmel Road, Charlotte 28226.