Diane Shaw

Diane Shaw passed away July 29, 2016 in Fort Smith. She was born October 17, 1940 to William and Polly Thompson Hughes in Lawrenceville, Ga. She earned a degree in Opticiany from Georgia State College in Atlanta. She was a member of the Georgia State Board of Dispensing Opticians, the American Board of Opticians and a Fellow in the National Association of Dispensing Opticians. She practiced at the Medical Center Clinic in Pensacola, where she performed visual Tomography, Visual Fields and was a specialist in Contact Lens fitting. She moved to Fort Smith in 1969 and continued practicing as a Dispensing Optician. She retired from Opticiany and joined the Staff of the American Cancer Society, where she worked for ten years. She became an Owner of World Wide Travel and Roebuck Shaw Travel in Fort Smith. She worked as a Travel Professional in both Little Rock and Fort Smith. She was a member of the Fort Smith Junior League and St. John's Episcopal Church. She was also a member and served on the boards of the Fort Smith Art Center, The Bonneville House Association, the Gregory Kistler Foundation, the Alzheimer's Association, Chaired the Wine and Roses Gala, and was a member of Sparks Guild and the Cancer Support Foundation of which she was a Past President and Charter Member of the organization. She was an avid tennis player, bridge player and an enthusiastic world traveler. She and her husband Michael traveled and explored all seven continents. She accompanied her husband to Africa on hunting Safaris and on several fishing and shooting expeditions. She loved Gardening, was a Gourmet cook, and enjoyed entertaining. She is survived by her husband, James Michael Shaw of the home, four children, Cindy Stephens and husband Dennis of Nashua, N.H., Melissa Sikes of Tyler, Texas, Michael Shaw, Jr. of Seattle, Wash., and Rachel Busch and husband Scott of Fayetteville, Ark.; nieces, Melissa Rose and husband Charles of Lexington, Ky., Amy Wilkinson and husband Jeffery of Milledgeville, Ga., Dana Leverett and husband Tim of Lawrenceville, Ga., Nephew, William Donald Hughes Jr. and wife Tracy of Chesapeake, Va., Michael Hughes Jr. of Social Circle, Ga., and William H. Moon and wife Patti of Temple, Ga; grandchildren, Andrew Stephens and wife Kelly of Nashua, N.H., Christopher Stephens of Stowe, Vt., Lindsay Jones and husband Peter of San Francisco, Calif., Emily Stephens of Nashua, N.H., Cortni Czescowski and husband Chris of Richardson, Texas, Christina Sikes of Tyler, Texas and Lynette Shaw, Erin Shaw, and Brian Shaw of Seattle, Wash., Savannah Busch and Preston Busch of Fayetteville, Ark.; three great-grandsons and a large extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Martha Jane Simmons; two brothers, William Donald Hughes Sr. and Henry Michael Hughes Sr. and a grandson, Spencer Colin Sikes. Memorial service will be Saturday, August 6, 2016 at 3 p.m. in the St. John's Episcopal Church. Cremation and services are under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home. Visitation and Cocktail reception will be held August 5, 2016 from 5-7 p.m. at Hardscrabble Country Club. Memorials may be made to Myasthenia Gravis Foundation of America, 355 Lexington Ave., 15th Floor, New York, N.Y. 10017, St. John's Episcopal Church, 212 North 6th Street Fort Smith, Ark. 72901 or Reynolds Cancer Support House, 3324 "M" Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 72903. To sign an online guestbook visit www.edwardsfunealhome.com.