Former educator taught KCK children for 30 years. She deserves a dignified farewell | Opinion
Marva Jean Shaw was a longtime educator and Bible school teacher in Wyandotte County. LaVance Anderson, one of Shaw’s former Sunday school students, vividly recalls when Shaw let the then teenager borrow her car to go on a date.
“It was a yellow Camaro,” Anderson said. “How crazy is that?”
Shaw died June 16 at 83. Recently, I spoke with Anderson and another one of Shaw’s former students and both described her as a kind and compassionate woman who stressed the importance of education.
That’s why her family’s need for financial support to help cover the costs of funeral and memorial services is so heartbreaking. Shaw’s family organized a GoFundMe campaign to help with those expenses. By Monday, the campaign had raised only $950 of its goal of $2,800. More financial help is needed.
Anderson, minister of Downtown Church of Christ in Kansas City, said Shaw was his Bible school teacher at Roswell Church of Christ in KCK when he was in elementary school. Anderson, 63, of Kansas City, Kansas, said the impact she had on him as a child carried into adulthood.
“She taught me how to treat people,” Anderson said. He described Shaw as a mindful woman with a gentle soul — something I don’t doubt. Not too many adults would allow a teen to use their sports car to take out a girlfriend.
“I brought it back the next day,” Anderson said, adding Shaw was thoughtful, kind and very sympathetic to urban youth.
“She was kind-hearted and had a beautiful spirit about herself,” Anderson said.
Helping young women
Tracy Anderson, a 54-year-old Olathe resident, is also Shaw’s former Sunday school student at Roswell Church of Christ. (Tracy and LaVance are not related.) She said she’ll remember Shaw as a kind person who cared about education.
“She really put an emphasis on education for everyone but especially for young women.”
Shaw’s community involvement did not stop at church or in school. She was also a youth development instructor with the multicultural organization for girls known as Camp Fire.
“I really appreciate all of the life lessons that she taught me,” Tracy Anderson said.
According to family members, Shaw taught for more than 30 years at several schools in the Kansas City, Kansas Unified School District. Not only did she teach Bible school classes at Roswell Church of Christ, she was a member there, her family said.
Undoubtedly, Shaw touched the lives of many people during her lifetime.
When I spoke with Shaw’s granddaughter, Victoria Shaw, of Kansas City, Kansas, she said she hoped news of her grandmother’s passing would help spread the word of the family’s needs.
“We are trying to reach some of her former students whose lives she touched,” Victoria Shaw said.
Nurturing children
On the GoFundMe page setup for Marva Shaw, she was described as a nurturer who dedicated her life to young people.
“It is with heavy hearts that we share the passing of our beloved grandmother, Marva Jean Shaw, a woman whose love, strength, and unwavering faith left a lasting impact on everyone who knew her,” the GoFundMe page reads. “For over 30 years, she dedicated her life to teaching, nurturing the minds and hearts of countless students in the Kansas City, Kansas Public School District. Our grandmother was a pillar of wisdom, creativity, and grace — ALWAYS offering a helping hand.”
According to the GoFundMe page, the family seeks financial support to help cover the costs of the funeral.
“Any contribution, no matter the size, will go directly toward laying our grandmother to rest,” it reads. “We are deeply grateful for your prayers, kindness, and support during this time.”
Marva Shaw was born on February 15, 1942 in Frederick, Oklahoma, according to her obituary. Her parents were Ike and Minnie Shaw. It was not known when she moved to Wyandotte County but she is survived by daughter, Valerie Shaw, and grandchildren: Valdez Shaw, 34; Christopher Shaw, 31; Victoria Shaw, 29; and Vanessa Shaw, 28, all of Kansas City, Kansas.
Victoria Shaw said her grandmother was a pillar of the KCK community and much more.
“She was the matriarch of our family,” Victoria said.
Visitation for Marva Shaw is from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Friday at Roswell Church of Christ, 2900 Roswell Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, according to her obituary. Funeral services will begin at 11:00 a.m. followed by a burial ceremony at 12:30 p.m. at Highland Park Cemetery in KCK.
Anyone touched by Marva’s generosity over the years or by this column is encouraged to donate to the family’s GoFundMe campaign.
This story was originally published June 24, 2025 at 10:10 AM.
