CAPE NEDDICK – Burns Vinal Shaw, age 89, passed away peacefully on April 12, 2024. He was born in Perth, New Brunswick, Canada on April 22, 1934 to Rose A. (Burns) and Vinal J. Shaw. He was an interesting man and will be sadly missed.
Vinal attended school in Portland, Me and ultimately graduated from Portland High School. He enlisted in the National Guard at the tender age of thirteen, and was honorably discharged at the age of sixteen. This worked to his advantage when he enlisted in the Air Force during the Korean Conflict. Due to his time served in the Guard he graduated from boot camp one pay grade above his fellow graduates. During his time in the Air Force he served as a crew Chief working on F-84s in Alaska, Japan, Oklahoma and Bangor.
He graduated from Maine Vocational Technical Institute with an Associates Degree in Automotive Technology and consequently went to work at Palmer Spring Co. in Portland.
After marrying the love of his life, Jean Alice Walker of Portland, Me, Vinal was accepted to an apprenticeship program for welding at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard during which, he worked on the USS Albacore which is/was a research submarine for the Navy. After completing his four year apprenticeship, Vinal developed a reputation as one of the top nuclear pipe welders at the shipyard and, quite possibly the country. He was particularly proud of his work on the USS Nautilus (SSN-571) which was the first operational Nuclear powered submarine as well as the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole. In an effort to make some extra money for the family, Vinal took a night job teaching welding at Southern Maine Vocational Technical Institute and realized that he liked and was fairly good at it. When an opening for a full time Welding Instructor became available, he applied and was successful. This was after fourteen years at the shipyard. During his time at SMVTI he completed his studies in vocational education receiving his Masters Degree from The University of Southern Maine.
Vinal had a particular love for the game of golf and was a student of the game for the biggest part of his life. His love of the game was transmitted to his family. His son, Michael, likes to tell the story that Vinal had him swinging a club when he was two years old. He was sixteen before he realized it was a stupid game but by then it was too late. Michael was hooked. This also carried on to Vinal's wife Jean. She told the story that one day when Vinal and Mike (Mike was still small at the time) were in the front yard working on their swings, she came out to see what was going on. When Mike started to explain to her how to swing a club she figured that she had to learn how to play or get left behind. She later went on to start and run the “Women's Twilight Golf League” at the Cliff Country Club, now known as the Cape Neddick Country Club. Both Jean and Vinal were members of Cliff Country Club for many years before moving to The York Golf and Tennis Club where they were members for the rest of their lives.
Being a student of golf naturally lead to him becoming a teacher of golf, always willing and eager to help someone with their game. He was particularly proud of his work in the Special Olympics Program at the York Golf and Tennis Club. One of his Special Olympic Students actually went on to compete in a National Special Olympics golf tournament. This was another source of great pride for Vinal.
He was also the Head Golf Coach at SMCC, formerly SMVTI, for twenty two years from 1978 to 2000. This made him the longest tenured coach in the history of SMCC as of 2022. During that span he compiled 12 Maine Small Conference Championships with the best team average of 328.8 in 1989. He was inducted into the SMCC Sea Wolves Athletic Hall Of Fame in 2022.
He was a Senior Member of DeMolay in Portland as well as a sixty seven year member of Triangle Masonic Lodge #1 in Portland, Maine.
Vinal was predeceased by his wife, Jean in 2015 and a grandson, David in 2020.
He is survived by his son, Michael Shaw and his wife Cyndi, daughter Susan Shaw, grandchildren, Michael Shaw II, Harley Wheeler, Adam Tetzlaff and his fiancee Felicia Farris, and Amanda Shaw. Great grandchildren, Kirnan, Kira, Alaina, Athena, Khloe, and Karter.
Visitation will be held on Saturday June 8th from 1 - 2 PM, followed USAF and Masonic Honors at the Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service Chapel, 498 Long Plains Road, Buxton. Both Burns and his late wife Jean who passed away in 2015 will be honored.
After the service, everyone is welcome at Chaps Saloon for a time of gathering, food and drink and an opportunity to toast Burns.
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