Shuba lived in the Youngstown area since his retirement from Major League Baseball in 1955. In the early 1970s, he was interviewed at his Austintown home by Roger Kahn, who was conducting research for "The Boys of Summer", a literary tribute to the 1950s Brooklyn Dodgers. Over the years, Shuba received recognition for his symbolic role in promoting interracial harmony in professional baseball. A 2006 article that appeared in the "Chicago Tribune" noted that he continued to take pride in the photograph of his groundbreaking handshake with teammate Robinson. A copy of the photo hung behind his favorite living room chair.