Walter J. Shaw

Early this afternoon I received a call that, as the last President of J. David Securities and my first and only boss at Drexel Burnham Lambert in LaJolla the world lost a real character in Walter J. Shaw.

Walter had his ways, a peculiar sort who was hustled out of Austria in the middle of the night by the family nanny to beat the Germans from taking his family to the gas chamber.

Walter hired me in 1984. He was a stubborn man. A man who for years and years never spoke a word to his brother. He was a good father, loved the opera, admired good horseflesh, a good manager in the securities business, a good businessman for being so tight and probably a great husband when he wanted to be. He would have loved to be a Cheyenne or Crow or Sioux warrior.

I am honored to have served my clients and Drexel Burnham Lambert under his tutelage. We were still together when the doors were slammed shut and we headed off to another bankrupt firm, Thomson McKinnon. Little did we know. All in all it was a great ride.

It was great to be in business with you Walter. I shall never forget the symbol, BMED.

May the Creator bless the soul of Walter J. Shaw.