.Robert Lewis Shave, 96, of Hanson, Massachusetts died on March 25 at Beth Israel Hospital after a brief illness.
He was born in Brockton, Massachusetts on March 20, 1923, the eldest of five children of Lewis C. Shave and Ruth F. (McLeod) Shave, the brother of the Late Meredith Gassett of Brockton, the Late David of Salisbury, Maryland, Nancy Wigley of Woods Hole, and Paul of Belize, Central America.
He grew up in the Heights area of Brockton and graduated from Brockton High School in 1940 and from the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in 1942.
In November of 1942, he enlisted in the Army Air Corp. He was assigned to the Thirteenth Air Force and served in various finance offices in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies, and the southern and central Philippines until December of 1945.
Upon discharge from the service in January 1946, he worked for a short while in the wholesale grocery business. In 1951, he entered the field of banking where he worked in accounting as a data processing officer and was a pioneer in introducing computers into the Banking Industry. He was a controller and treasurer, until he retired in 1991.
He greatly enjoyed bicycling, and spent many hours doing so. He was an officer of The Charles River Wheelmen in the early 1970s, but did most of his riding over a period of fifteen years on scenic back roads of the northeast traveling as far south as Virginia and as far north as Nova Scotia. He was also a Boy Scout Leader, an avid hiker and loved camping with his family.
After retiring, he enjoyed taking walks through the forest with his grandchildren, spending time “whittling” with them or showing them movies on the computer.
He was the husband of the late Nancy (Young) Shave for 68 years. He leaves his four sons: Bradford of Virginia Beach, VA, late wife Lisa, children Natalie Schaible, husband Eric, great granddaughter Lorelei, and Bradford Jr; Kenton of Brockton, wife Ellen, children Megan and Robert; Prescott of Avon, wife Arlene; Jamison of Bridgewater, wife Mindi and son Cameron.
Visiting hours will be held Saturday March 30, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street (Rte. 58 at the rotary) Whitman, Ma. Burial will be private.