Angus Thomas "Tom" Shaw

Angus Thomas “Tom” Shaw of Harnett County entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior on March 11, 2026, surrounded by his loving family.

Tommy, as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was born on September 27, 1946, in Fayetteville, North Carolina, to the late Angus D. and Ernestine Thomas Shaw. Grandson of the late John T. and Mary Ann Bain Shaw of Harnett County and Walter M. and Mattie Rogers Thomas of Broadway, North Carolina, he grew up in Harnett County. He graduated from Anderson Creek High School and earned his degree cum laude from Campbell University in 1968.

For 34 years, Tommy devoted himself to teaching in the Fayetteville City Schools, Cumberland County Schools, and finally at Western Harnett High School, where he was named Harnett County Teacher of the Year for 1997-98. A gifted musician, he served as pianist, organist, and choral director for more than 50 years, most notably as Director of Music at Flat Branch Presbyterian Church in Bunnlevel for over 28 years, as well as at Village Presbyterian, Peace Presbyterian, Lillington United Methodist, and Lillington Baptist churches. He also organized memorable group tours across the United States, Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean, including a cherished journey to his ancestral Isle of Jura in Scotland, where he met relatives from the Shaw family line.

In addition to his professional and musical contributions, Tommy served on the boards of the Heart of Harnett Theater and the Harnett County Arts Council, was a founding member and vice president of the Anderson Creek High School Alumni Association, and held the roles of deacon and elder in the Peace and Flat Branch Covenant Presbyterian churches. He was instrumental in founding the Shaw Family Reunion of the Torquil and Ann Shaw family of Harnett County and received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor, the Order of the Long Leaf Pine, in 2010 for his service to education and community.

Diagnosed in 1992 with Kennedy’s Disease, a rare neuromuscular disorder, Tommy faced its progressive challenges with quiet faith and remarkable fortitude. A living repository of family history, he authored several booklets on his family tree and was the person others turned to with questions about family connections.

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Marianna Hannon Shaw; sons Bryan Shaw and wife Angel of Sanford, North Carolina, and John David Shaw and wife Emily of Simpsonville, South Carolina; grandchildren Devin Jordling, Ashlyne Shaw, Hailey Shaw, Lilianna Shaw, Jonah Shaw, Karmity Waddell, Ruby Shaw, and Evie Shaw; eight great-grandchildren; and many in-laws, cousins, and dear friends.