Roderick K. Shaw, Jr ’50

Roderick K. Shaw, Jr ’50, a native of Quincy, Fla., passed away July 6 in Tampa, Fla. He was a graduate of Davidson where he was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. Rod first met his wife of 53 years, Floride, at an Honor Society luncheon. Rod and Flo were married in Tallahassee in 1951. Subsequent to his graduation, he and Flo moved to Gainesville, where he attended the University of Florida College of Law. His law school education was interrupted by service in the Korean War. Flo’s cheerful, newsy letters boosted his morale during his service on the front lines in Korea. During his service in the Army, he fought in the battle of Triangle Hill (Korea) during mid- and late-October 1952. As the commander of I-Company, he led a company-sized diversionary raid on the foothill of Hill 1066 Nov. 1, 1952. He later served in battalion headquarters as advisor for the battalion commander S-1, 3rd Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment. He was awarded the Bronze Star for his service in Korea and concluded his service as the rank of Army captain, and was honorably discharged from the Army Reserve in 1958. He and Flo moved to Tampa following his graduation from law school. Rod practiced law with the firm of Allen, Dell, Frank, and Trinkle in Tampa. He primarily worked as a corporate lawyer representing the Florida citrus industry. A notable product of his corporate work was lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to require food labels on all orange juice products to enable consumers to distinguish 100 percent orange juice from 10 percent orange drink imitations. Modern-day food labels listing the ingredients of food products in grocery stores are a direct result of his legal practice. Following his success with food labels, his label model was mandated industry-wide and is now on all food labels. He maintained a lifelong passion for architecture and furniture. He showed his hobby via his woodcarving of Georgian-era chairs and his consultation on the design of the new chancel of Palma Ceia Presbyterian Church, where he was a member. He was also a member of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla. He is survived by his daughter, Floride “Reedi” Massey (Steve), 2523 Noble Dr., Tallahassee, FL 32308-6479; son, Roderick Shaw (Kathleen); grandchildren, Roderick and Carolyn Floride Shaw; sister, Mary McMillan; and numerous cousins, nephews, and nieces. He was preceded in death by his wife, Floride Wilkinson Shaw, and his parents, Roderick K. Shaw, Sr. and Elizabeth “Dibby” Shaw.