Death is often a time of reappraisal for those left behind: of gifts a person may have given, and of lessons that might be learned from their struggles. A number of distinguished adult educators, whose lives were shaped by twentieth-century wars and fragilities, have recently died. They include Roy Shaw, one-time Director of Adult Education at the University of Keele and later Secretary General of the Arts Council. The author believes that Shaw's work and ideas, and the tradition to which he belonged, are a valuable guide for times of crisis. This paper discusses Shaw's work and ideas.