Claude Shawbell, III was born on February 12th 1943 to Claude Marion "Jack" Shawbell, JR and Betty Alice Bumgardener in Fort Worth, Texas.  One year later his younger brother Lewis was born. The Shawbell family relocated to Duncan, Oklahoma where he and his brother were raised.

 

Early in Claude's life he determined he wanted to become an artist and would enter and win school and local art shows. At Duncan High School Claude played baseball and competed in spring board diving. Upon completion of High School he enlisted in the US Air Force, and served as a Radar Technician as part of the 674th Radar Squadron located in Osceola, Wisconsin from 1964 to 1967 reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant. 

 

He was able to transition from military service a year early upon his acceptance to Layton School of fine art in Milwaukee. Layton School was one of the most coveted art and graphic design schools in the 60's as he was one of 400 applicants accepted out of tens of thousands and one of the few selected from a military service branch. It is at Layton Claude flourished as a student in pursuit of his dream and cut his teeth in the graphic design field, be creating designs for manufacturers and packaging.  It was these graphic design pursuits that led to leave Layton prior to graduation and accept a job in Houston on a graphic design team. This time in Houston Claude recognized he was not fulfilled in the pursuit of the corporate dream and keeping up with the Joneses.  He longed to be outdoors and take his fine art skills acquired at Layton to new place.  The opportunity came as he would least expect it when his mother re-married John McCorkindale who operated a saw mill outside of Williams, Arizona.  Claude was asked to come lend a hand at the mill and lept at the opportunity.

 

He came to Arizona for a fresh start, to change his life style, and find inspiration for his art. Claude was captivated by the history of the local Indian tribes, his is imagination captured at the awe of the Grand Canyon, and his creative innovation swelled within the budding Williams scene of artist, hippies, drifters, and river runners who were all drawn to the region. It is on a hill top near the South Road of Williams that Claude took of residence in a one room shack with his best fried a long haired Labrador mutt named Thurston or “Stoney” for short.  It was here that Claude set up his headquarters for his art studio and the landing place between his hikes and adventures that fueled his creativity that poured out through his pencils and paint brushes. <still in progress>

 

 

Claude also took up with the Arizona Raft Adventures as the warehouse and equipment manager in the early 1980's. He had great memories of those years rafting the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon with the most talented and hilarious River Runners of their era.  <still in progress>

 

 

Claude married Linda Oryall October 14, 1978 in Williams, Arizona.  They had three children, Marion Hollin (1979), Jonathan Convington (1983), and Vanessa Chinle (1985).  Claude and Linda divorced in 1992.  Claude had another daughter with Jennifer Richards in 1996, Carly Jane Richards.  Along with his four children, Claude is also survived by Hollin's wife, Erin and their two children Jack and Eric; John's wife Ashley; Vanessa's daughter Makailyn; and his two cats Zena "ZeeZee" and Drooley.