Jeanne Osborne Shaw

Jeanne Osborne Shaw, 97, loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died peacefully on Thursday Dec. 19, 2017, after a full and productive life. Born in Stone Mountain, GA, Jeanne grew up in Atlanta, residing most of her life in Decatur, GA.

Jeanne attended Atlanta public schools, graduating from Girls High and Agnes Scott College. After graduation she served a brief stint on The Atlanta Constitution editorial staff before marrying Bobby Gibbs during wartime and moving to New London, CT, where Bobby was stationed in the submarine service. While in New London, Jeanne was a feature writer for The New London Day newspaper.

Writing was a lifelong passion for Jeanne, to which she managed to devote herself in the course of her busy life. She was for 16 years book editor of Georgia Magazine, which published her first book of poetry. Two subsequent poetry volumes were published by Dan Abrams, an Atlanta rare book dealer. Some 500 of Jeanne’s poems were published in poetry society anthologies, magazines and newspapers. Other writing projects included a pamphlet on the history of medicine in DeKalb County.

In 1955, Jeanne began composing a Christmas poem every year as a holiday greeting to members of her beloved Druid Hills Baptist Church and other friends. She carried on that tradition for 50 years. Jeanne shared her faith in other of her writings, including a period composing brief devotionals her pastor delivered on local radio.

In 1982, Jeanne married Harry Shaw, a former newspaper editor. During their life together, Jeanne and Harry co-authored the book They Continued Steadfastly, A History of Druid Hills Baptist Church, Atlanta, Georgia.

Remembrances may be made to the DeKalb Medical Foundation or Druid Hills Baptist Church (recently renamed The Church at Ponce and Highland).