26/05/2026
THIS IS LES.
Dad’s father-in-law and my Pa.
Today marks ten years since he passed away, and it feels like the right moment to reflect on the long line of hands, hearts and histories that shaped our family’s connection to building.
Dad’s love of building began with his own father, also Neal, a carpenter and timber craftsman whose knowledge and workmanship left a lasting impression on him from a very young age. Watching his Dad work, and being immersed in that world early on, laid the foundations for what would eventually become ShawBuild.
Pa’s story was different, but equally formative. Raised on a dairy farm with plenty of love but not much money, he learned to build through necessity, turning his hand to whatever needed doing. Over the years, Dad and Pa built together too, including Nan and Pa’s own home (pictured) and many other projects, sharing that satisfaction that comes from making something with your hands, as well as a strong mateship.
For me, the love of homes, building and design showed itself early. I was the child asking to be driven around just to look at houses, fascinated by architecture, details and craftsmanship. Growing up watching Dad build, not just beautifully, but thoughtfully, resourcefully and skillfully, naturally evolved into working together over the past fifteen years. My appreciation for design, construction and the stories homes carry only grows stronger with time.
Recently, Dad looked further into our family history and discovered generations before us were architects and builders, too. Somehow, that feels fitting. The instinct to create, restore and build things that last seems to have quietly carried through the family for generations.
At ShawBuild, history, craftsmanship and connection sit at the heart of what we do. There’s something incredibly special about continuing that thread, father and daughter working side by side, carrying forward a legacy built long before us.
This photograph feels especially precious today.
Leslie Gorman. My Pa.
- Georgia.
