Peter Bernard Shaw, son of John and Ada Kunz Shaw, was born October 2, 1932 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and passed away September 10, 2023 in State College, Pennsylvania after a long and distinguished career as a Professor of Physics at Penn State University. In between, he lived life to the fullest, attending Harvard, where he received an AB in Physics, and a PhD in Physics from the Carnegie Institute of Technology. He also did post doctorate work at Rice University and Penn State before becoming first an Assistant Professor and then an Associate Professor. He worked on a variety of theoretical problems related to condensed matter physics, astrophysics and biophysics.
Peter served in the U.S. Marine Corp, enlisting in 1951 where he serve in the communications section of a Marine tank company in the last year of the Korean War where he obtained the rank of Sargent.
Peter married Karin Oldberg on June 22, 1957 after meeting on a street corner. Together they had 4 children, Christopher (Cynthia), Jessica Shaw White (Daniel Robert White), Hope Shaw Scannel (Jamie) and Sarah Shaw Murray.
Peter had two siblings-sister Martha Shaw and brother John Shaw, both of whom predeceased him.
Peter also was very heavily involved in various peace movements, even being arrested on at least one occasion. He was a lifetime member of Veterans For Peace and traveled to El Salvador and Cuba to experience and learn about the consequences of war on local people. He was a founding member of the State College Peace Center in 1994 and even ran its human rights film series. He was a member of the Board of Directors of CenterPease, a nonprofit dedicated to helping Centre County prison inmates lead productive lives upon release from prison, He served as President from 1995-1998 and Treasurer from 1998-2016. He was actively involved in the Penn State Karate Club, earning a black belt in Isshin-Ryu Karate and later served as the faculty advisor for many years. He loved playing the bag pipes and was a founding member of the Nittany Highland Pipe Band and he played the pipes with them from 1973-2002. From 2001-2005 he played Scottish smallpipes, Highland pipes and Irish uilleann pipes in the State College Celtic band, Clannish. Peter happily played the bagpipes at the wedding of his daughter Jessica to Daniel R. White. Peter was also a cat lover, sharing his home with Finbar, Seamus, Siobhan and Sinead.
Peter Shaw, age 90, of State College, died on September 10, 2023. He was born on October 2, 1932, in Portsmouth NH, to the late John and Ada Kunz Shaw. On June 22, 1957 he married Karin Oldberg, who died on June 19, 2006. Peter and Karin met on a street corner in Boston and were married for 49 years. Together they enjoyed raising their four children, traveling throughout their married life, as well as sharing a passion for social justice.
In 1951 he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in the communications section of a Marine tank company in the last year of the Korean War, later discharged with the rank of sergeant. He then received an AB in physics from Harvard, a PhD in physics from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Penn State University and Rice University. He became an Assistant Professor of Physics at Penn State University in 1966, working on a variety of theoretical problems related to condensed matter physics, astrophysics and biophysics. Peter was selfless in offering suggestions and guidance to his colleagues in the Penn State Physics Department, always declining credit for his contributions in solving mathematical and conceptual problems posed by the colleagues. Peter and Karin were extraordinarily generous in opening their home hosting frequent and laughter-filled social gatherings for colleagues both inside and outside the Physics Department, especially to newcomers to State College. He retired as Associate Professor of Physics, emeritus, in 1992 to become active in peace and justice movements.
Peter was a lifetime member of the St. Louis, Missouri-based national organization Veterans For Peace and traveled to El Salvador and Cuba to experience and learn about the consequences of war on the local people. He was a founding member of the State College Peace Center in 1994, taking part in its various activities, and running its human rights film series. He was a member of the Board of Directors of CentrePeace, the Bellefonte-based nonprofit dedicated to helping Centre County prison inmates lead productive lives upon their release from prison, having served as President (1995-1998) and Treasurer (1998-2016). Peter was actively involved in the Penn State karate club, earning the degree of black belt in Isshin-Ryu Karate, and later served as faculty advisor for many years. He was a founding member of the Nittany Highland Pipe Band and played pipes with the band from 1973 to 2002. From 2001 to 2005 he played Scottish smallpipes, Highland pipes and Irish uilleann pipes in the State College Celtic band, Callanish.
Peter is survived by a son Christopher (Cynthia) of Wilmington DE, and daughters Jessica Shaw-White (Danny White) of Evendale, OH, Hope Scannell (Jamie) of White Bear Lake, MN and Sarah Murray of Encinitas CA, granddaughters Alison (Kellen), Ashley (Daniel), Brittany (Oriana), Kathryn, Megan, and Ella; grandsons Jacob and Liam; great-granddaughters Marlowe and Harper; great-grandsons Arden, Kellen, Rowan, and Samuel. His brother, John and sister, Martha preceded him in death. Since 2008 he shared a house with his cats, Finbar and Seamus (both deceased), Siobhan and Sinead
Our Family-Our History 