CENTERBURG — Described as a civic-minded person, Centerburg Mayor George Shaw’s ambition was to serve his community, and that is what he did until his death on Thursday, Dec. 23.
A Vietnam veteran, Shaw, 66, also served as a Centerburg village police officer and volunteer firefighter in past years, and served on the fire board. He was elected to Village Council in 1992 and became mayor in 2008.
Joe Porter, fire chief for the Central Ohio Joint Fire District, said he has known Shaw for quite some time.
“He has always been a real community-minded person,” Porter said. “I always remember George being around from the time he was the town police officer to being on council. He sat on the fire board for three or four years, and it seems he has been on just about every community function committee that’s been out there. He was on the USA Days committee, for example. He just seemed to always be involved with about anything that was going on in the community.”
Centerburg Area Business Association President Dale Pennington said of Shaw, “He will be greatly missed. We worked very well together — the mayor, the village administrator and the association. Whenever we would present an idea, like on our park project, he had input. He was fully behind anything we wanted and could do to improve the community. He appreciated what we did.”
Village Administrator Phil Lohmeyer said Shaw was also involved with the senior citizen center. Besides taking an interest in the center’s operations, he would go down and play bingo with the seniors.
