Robert Ralph Shaw is being praised as the “last honorable man.”

It’s a high honor for a man well-known for shunning the spotlight.

Shaw died Saturday at Regina Medical Center in Hastings.

For 39 years (1951-1990), he was Mower County’s 4th District commissioner, serving Austin’s Third Ward, where he lived.

Before that, he was an Austin City Council member.

He contributed 52 years of public service.

Not only was he loyal to the call of community involvement, but also his life’s work: 47 1/2 years at Hormel Foods’ flagship plant in Austin.

A sister, Ardella Rolfson, remembers the family’s east side roots near Queen of Angels Catholic Church, where a Mass of Christian burial will be held Friday.

Rolfson said she remembers the days when Austin Morning Lions Park was a neighbor of houses, including her family’s own. An era of Allegheny, Ash and other named streets.

Sadly, January has also claimed the lives of other close family members, but Rolfson mourns this one as deeply as others. “He will be missed. He will be missed a lot,” she said. “We all loved him deeply.”

Public service is what he knew and what he did.

“I think he was the last honorable man in public office. He always put serving the public first in his life,” said Dennis Sipple, a nephew.

Sipple can be excused in this time of grieving for allowing emotions to move him to so high an accolade.

Conventional wisdom would suggest there are other honorable men and women who serve the public, but this one was special those who knew him well are saying.

For instance, a journalist whose job it is to be fair and accurate in reporting news.

“I always liked Bob,” said Judy McDermott, former long-time Austin Daily Herald news editor. McDermott covered the Mower County Board for many years before moving on to another career.

“He was very forthcoming and would always explain he issues to me when I asked,” McDermott said.

“The character of the county board at that time was very different,” she said. “Voices were raised in meetings, when they disagreed over issues, but when a decision was made, they accepted it.”

“Bob was always very even-handed in handing issues that came before the county board,” she said.

Duane Hanson represented the Fifth District at the time Shaw was a commissioner.

“He was a great county commissioner,” Hanson said. “He was fair, honest and always did his best.”

“Sure, voices were raised when we disagreed, but he never held any grudges,” Hanson said. “He always wanted the best for Mower County.”

Richard P. Cummings retired from public service as the First District county commissioner in December. Cummings served 32 years on the county board.

“He was very studious,” Cummings recalled. “He was deeply interested in all angles of an issue.”

“No. He did not carry any grudges when there were differences of opinion by the commissioners,” Cummings said.

“I looked to him to share his knowledge and leadership and how he handled himself,” Cummings said. “He was an exceptional county commissioner.”

It would be impossible to list Shaw’s accomplishments; so many were there and so few he took credit for doing.

Craig Oscarson, county coordinator, “I was saddened to hear about Bob’s death.”

“He was all-business as a commissioner and lived and breathed county government,” Oscarson added.

Oscarson remembers how “verbal sparring,” as he called it, between Shaw and Robert “Butch” Finbraaten, the former long-time Second District commissioner (now deceased) would cause the “raised voices” remembered by others.

But the disputes never carried over to the next county board meeting.

Daryl W. Franklin, retired county environmental services director, knew Shaw well and called him a “friend.”

“He was a statesman,” Franklin also said. “He was concerned and dedicated and had tenacity.”

Franklin remembers Shaw for his work on creating a water plan for the county and including Mower County in a regional water planning effort.

Whatever his accomplishment Franklin said Shaw declined to take credit. “He wanted to keep a low profile,” he said when recognition was about to spring upon the commissioner.

Oscarson remembers Shaw for his work in the area of human services, but the environment and dealing with solid waste issues also were Shaw’s area of expertise.

Jeff Weaver, Mower County’s recycling coordinator, remembers one of Shaw’s lasting contributions to Mower County: a recycling program to protect the environments.

“He started mentoring me when I started work for the county,” Weaver said. “I told him once I really didn’t know how politics worked and he told me ‘I’ll teach you how politics works’ and he did.”

According to Weaver, it was Shaw’s idea to create a recycling program for Mower County. “He knew we didn’t have a landfill and were shipping those materials all over and spending a lot of money to do that,” Weaver said. “He was looking a head to the county’s future and how we could handle that important issue and protect the environment.”

When a recycling program was created — largely with Weaver’s input — Shaw ushered the proposal through the hoops and barrels of county board politics and got the proposal approved and funded.

“After all he did for the recycling program, many people wanted to name the recycling center after him, but he would have nothing of that,” Weaver said.

After he left pubic service and retired and when his beloved wife Victoria died, Shaw moved to Hastings to be near family members.

He never left his hometown and politics far behind.

“We would always get together when he came back to Austin,” recalled Darrell Stacy, the retired long-time Austin City Administrator. “We would go to McDoald’s or some other place and have coffee and talk over the old times and new issues that were being debated.”

“Dewey (Duane Hanson) and I were the Republicans and Bob and Daryl Franklin (retired county environmental services director) were the Democrats.”

“We used to have some pretty good debates, but it was always good fun,” Stacy said.

“When I was in city government, it was always a pleasure to work with him. He’s going to be missed a lot,” Stacy said.

A brother missed deeply as well as the “last honorable man.” Likable and a teacher. A fair-fighter. “Exceptional, mentor.” ……. and the one title the man himself would perhaps like best of all: Public servant.

Robert Ralph Shaw, Sr., dead at 94. Alive in the memories of those who knew him.