IN MEMORIAM
Walter Shine, 77, died Dec. 10, 1997. Many fans of JDM will remember him as a person who devoted nearly 30 years to a study of JDM and his work, particularly the Travis McGee series. He authored 3 long bibliographies of JDM and his work. At the time of his death he had been close to finishing a revised and updated Bio-Bibliography to replace the original published in 1980.
Walter knew so much about JDM and his works that when MacDonald was still alive he would call Walter to refresh his own memory about a long-ago short story, or character. Walter's research allowed him to pride himself on being able to answer any JDM-question, posed by anyone, within 90 seconds. Any question.
He was well-known to the staff of the MacDonald Collection, for he spent many long hours over the years painstakingly cross-referencing all items in the Collection in preparation for several publications of his works on JDM.
It is unlikely we will ever see a scholar with such credentials devoted to JDM again. We owe a great debt of thanks for Walter's efforts.
A graduate of Georgetown Law School he was a long-time member and supporter of the ACLU; and argued the case that stopped discrimination against blacks in Washington, D.C. restaurants;
Like Travis, Walter was an avid boater who loved cruising Bahamian waters. A private memorial service was held in the Islands.
Walter and Jean Shine:
