On February 15, 2023, Joseph Shane “Bo” Dews concluded his earthly journey and went home to be with Jesus.
Shane was born in El Dorado, AR on December 18, 1980. From the time he was young, Bo was an energetic, joyful and inquisitive child, a “rescuer” of creatures and all things that slithered. He knew the reptile kingdom by heart and would never pass by a turtle without helping it cross the road. Shane loved fishing, sports and was an avid golfer. He was a collector of sports cards and memorabilia, with a mind that could spout off any sport statistic or history a person could ask for. He had an uncanny eye for structuring fantasy football lineups that would pay and loved strategizing with his sister Ashlea. A gifted wordsmith, he found his niche writing the sports column for the local paper when he was in High School. He was a diehard Dallas Cowboys fan and, as a born Arkansas Razorback, he learned to call the Hogs at a very young age.
After graduating from Park River High School, Shane attended Louisiana Tech and was a proud member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon. He was a talented, awarded salesman and loved working with people. To really know Shane was to know that his personality was bigger than life itself. He was always entertaining and would come alive to tell compelling stories with twists and turns and inevitable punch lines. He loved to laugh and loved to make others laugh. Joy was in the very fabric of his being. Always with high energy, Shane was a fitness enthusiast and was passionate about all things related to exercise physiology and kinesiology. Shane loved all types of history. He would carry on conversations with everyone and had particular affection for the elderly and children. Whether it was hanging out with his niece and nephew, Tyler and Maecy, or his little cousins Gavin and Jackson, he loved the opportunity to be just another kid in the room albeit, a loud one. He enjoyed spending time with his family and looked up to his brother Jon especially, sharing rounds of golf when possible. And, most precious to him was time spent with his beloved papaw at the farm in Spearsville, LA.
From a young age, Shane felt a calling on his life that remained a constant. He had a gift of scripture and could quote and explain biblical history like only a bible scholar could. He always sought the truth with vigor. He had an unwavering faith in God and a true heart for Jesus. No matter what his own struggles may have been, Shane lived his life with passion and compassion, serving and seeking to fulfill the needs of others and teaching many of the hope and love to be found in Jesus.
While we mourn, and will miss him dearly, we are grateful to know that he ran his race with perseverance, he changed many lives - he is healed, he is at peace and has joined the cloud of witnesses to cheer us all on. We live to see him again.
Shane has joined in heaven, his grandfathers Joseph E Dews Sr and Charles “Pete” W Ferguson, and his aunt, Sherry Ferguson.
He is survived by his father, Joseph E Dews (Mary), mother, Wanda Ferguson Dews, Grandmothers Janet Ferguson and Bettie Dews, brother, Jon Toland and sister, Ashlea (Harold) Dews; Aunt, Melody Ferguson Lyman; Uncles Charles (Janet) Ferguson, John (Beverly), Jim (Valarie) & Gary (Lisa) Dews; His nephews and niece, Tyler and Maecy Toland and JJ Rundel. He has a multitude of friends who miss him deeply, along with a large extended family.
Shane had a burden for the less fortunate, the homeless and those struggling with sobriety or addiction. He recently said “I am called to teach and evangelize” and he fulfilled this calling. While he struggled greatly at times, these struggles gifted him with an empathy for others, enabling him to make meaningful impacts on countless lives. If you knew him, you loved him and he would ask that you honor his life by extending your hand in a random act of kindness, acknowledging that we never know the struggles that others may be facing.
Due to Shane’s love for Jesus, his ashes will be scattered in Galilee where Jesus began His ministry.
Shane is now living a favorite verse of his:
“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere…” Psalm 84:10