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Brandon Shaw, a University of Maine biology and pre-med student, passed away unexpectedly of natural causes Sunday, Nov. 26. The official cause of death has been ruled as a brain anuerysm, which occurred sometime Sunday evening. Shaw died at his residence in Houlton, Maine. He was born in Manchester, Connecticut. He is survived by his parents, Max L. Shaw and Brenda Martin, his two brothers Bruce and Danny Shaw, and sisters Sandy Shaw and Marsha Libby.
“He was possibly the happiest kid I know,” said friend Joshua King, a second-year music education major. “I met Brandon through a friend of mine who lived with him on campus. Every weekend we all got together.When he wasn’t there it was boring, but when he was there it was fun.”
“I’ve known Brandon since sophomore year of high school,” Kevin Jewett, another friend of Shaw’s, said. “He was a very fun-loving, energetic, exciting person. He was always full of energy, always happy.”
Jewett recalled Shaw’s many extracurricular activities. “He was always ready for the next thing,” Jewett said. He was a member of the UMaine Greens and the Green Party, and an active conservationist. He was also a member of a karate group on campus. “He had progressed a couple of belts in the course of a semester,” Jewett said. Shaw was a member of the Maine Outing Club and enjoyed outdoor activities.
Shaw was an avid sportsman and sports fan. While attending Bath High School he participated in baseball, football and tennis. King recalled the conversations he and Shaw had about the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox.
Jewett also recalled many of Shaw’s favorite pastimes, which included hiking and camping, kayaking, and bowling. “The kid always had a beaming smile,” Jewett said. “He had a very infectious laugh.” He talked about how Shaw would periodically drive into the Maine country side and camp out under the stars. Sometimes, when one or the other of them was stressed, Shaw would play a CD of loon calls.
“He was a very interesting guy,” Dean of Students Robert Dana said. “He was involved in a lot of clubs.”
“It’s a tragedy,” Dana said. “When natural things happen, you don’t expect them to happen to 20-year-olds.”
Shaw was a direct descendant of a native American tribe, and came to the University of Maine on full scholarship. “He wanted to be a doctor. He wanted to save people.” Jewett recalled.
Shaw was a member of the Houlton band of Maliseets Indians and a member of Maine’s First Nations Relations club.
“There aren’t that many natives here at UMaine,” said David Slagger, a UMaine student and friend of Shaw’s. “When we lose one, it’s devastating.” Friends of Shaw are invited to remember him at a public service in the Bangor Room of Memorial Union, on Thursday, December 7.
Shaw was also active with the peace studies group on campus and was a volunteer at a peace conference held for students this month. Tiffany Warzecha, a student who worked with Shaw, and Barbara Blazej, Peace Studies Program coordinator, invite any interested people to contact them to set up a dialogue circle to remember Brandon. They can be reached at 581-2609.
Funeral services will be held today at the Dunn Funeral Home in Houlton. A wake for family and close friends will be held at noon, and the funeral will take place at 1 p.m. Interment will be at the Evergreen Cemetery.
Counseling is available for students or staff who wish to avail themselves of that service. The Counseling Center may be contacted at 581-1392; the Employee Assistance Program telephone number is 581-4014.
