I’m in the Will Rogers Airport and it’s 5:17 AM. Thank God it’s not LAX which is always crowded, noisy, with thousands of people going in all directions. Rogers Airport is quiet and there’s not many folks here. I went through TSA and recieved my pat-down. I feel so much safer…

I’m still in a state of shock that Rick is no longer with us. He was a dear friend and even after we stopped making films together we ate lunch together often and emailed each other constantly. I miss him… Mary Shaw asked me to conduct the memorial for Rick and it is an honor to do so. That’s why I’m at the airport and headed back to Los Angeles. L. A. 

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Richard Dexter Shaw was a multi-talented extraordinary man. He was an accomplished organist and performed Bach and other “high” music at churches near his hometown of Long Beach, California in his early years. 

His feet would fly over the pedals while his trained hands played the fugues and preludes that were a mainstay of his repertoire. 

Rick loved the organ with it’s massive pipes, three keyboards, and rows of stops and being curious and full of wonder as to how things worked, explored all of its functions in minute detail. 

He would continue with this same curiosity in everything that came across his path, including the MRI which he was subjected to only hours before his untimely death. 

I was on the phone with him that day and prayed with him and afterward he started to tell me about the MRI. That was Rick in a nutshell. He engaged to the fullest whatever came across his path. The boyhood wonder for everything in God’s and man’s creation fascinated him up until his untimely passing.

Rick was a faithful and caring husband of 40 years to his beloved wife Mary. He was a loving father to his two children, Dan and Laura and toward his two grandchildren, Damon and Chloe.

Rick’s love of film started early when he shot family movies with his Super 8mm film camera and used his projector to show them to anyone who would watch!

His intense curiosity and natural ability to understand how things worked allowed him to be self-taught in most areas where he excelled. 

He listened and asked questions of experts to improve his skills with film, art, mechanics, music composing, audio engineering, video editing, directing and producing to name a few.

His first love was the camera and what it could do. He realized the power of film as it combined all the elements of story-telling. He was an accomplished Director, Producer and film editor. His camera work was incredible and he would laugh triumphantly and his eyes would sparkle when he got the shot!

How can I possibly unpack the years that Rick lived to the fullest?

He wrote a column for a trade paper in regard to music software. He was one of the first to see how the digital world would revolutionize all forms of media. He founded Z-Postin Atlanta and co-founded Digital Solutions (sales of computer-based video editing systems) in Atlanta. He became one of the go-to persons in regard to the operation of this cutting edge equipment.

Rick received numerous awards for his work in both the film industry as well as audio engineering. 

-In Atlanta he received a regional Emmy for a project done on the AVID using it’s special effects features even though even AVID was unfamiliar with the look their software/hardware could accomplish.

-“Beat The Drum” was  voted Best Film in many film festivals

-Watchers also received Best Film awards in various film festivals.

Rick accepted whatever life threw at him and in the years that I was privileged to know him I never saw him bitter. 

When the studios failed to pay him hundreds of thousands of dollars and he and Mary lost their home because of it. He rolled with it. He never gave up, never was accusatory, never felt sorry for himself…never. It was at this time in his life that we became friends and this led to our production of the award winning Watchers Series. 

Rick could do things with the camera and later in post production that made our films look like were operating on big budgets when in fact our “war-chest” was usually under $10,000 per film! It was Rick’s incredible shooting savvy with the camera and his expertise in the edit booth that made our films look great!

Rick was a stickler for details, never wanting to part with the film, to send it to the duplicators, until he was sure everything was the way it should be.

We travelled the world together making 11 films in the Watchers series and Rick was always open, honest, loving and genuine to everyone that crossed his path and I mean everyone. 

He would spend time with kids in a village in Africa showing them how the camera worked. If one of our guides showed an interest in film Rick was quick to give them, in many cases, what would be their first lesson in photography. 

He was eager to listen to the stories of the hundreds of people we interviewed together. Sometimes during a shoot we would look at each and just shake our heads in disbelief at what we were hearing. 

Rick was fascinated by everything that came across his path. A strange looking dog like our Corgie, Scooter, would occupy his time and make him laugh calling her a “Cartoon Dog.” 

If someone had a picture of a UFO and showed it him, Rick would spend hours analyzing it to see if it was real. 

Rick loved Israel. He filmed his ground-breaking Torah Codes there and befriended the likes Rabbi Glazerson, and Elijahu Ripps who are world’s leading authorities on the Torah Codes. Rick even talked about relocating to Israel he loved the people and country that much. 

However, the attributes that are eternal in my opinion are these and Rick demonstrated them and embodied them. 

Rick was  patient and kind, loving and gentle, thoughtful and generous. 

I miss him and I know all of you miss him too.

We are told in the Biblical Prophetic Narrative that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

I rest knowing that he is there with Yeshua… Jesus. His questions about the universe in which he would speak about endlessly are being answered and I honestly think he’s gloating that he got there before many of us.

Rick, we love you and miss you… our husband, father, friend.