John Allen Shaffer Sr. passed away peacefully at Cross Creek Nursing Home on Saturday, September 30, 2017. His son John Allen Shaffer Jr. was with him at the time.

Mr. Shaffer was in the nursing home with a long-term ailment a little more than a year. He was the oldest living Shaffer of the family. His younger two brothers, Ronald Lee Shaffer and Robert Harry Shaffer passed away recently and his wife, Edla Shaffer passed away in July 2005.

His parents were Harry Allen Shaffer and Anna Dorothy Whitaker Shaffer. His father died in 1997 and his mother died in 1992 in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Shaffer was a medic in the United States Army and was part of the occupying forces in Japan during World War II. He was discharged from the Army in Japan and stayed there a while working for the Civil Service.

He left Japan and returned to his home in Pennsylvania in 1947. He married his wife, the former Edla Marshall in Pennsylvania. Later, John and Edla Shaffer moved to Alexandria, VA.

John worked at Cressky’s in Alexandria for a while and later at the Navy Annex in Arlington, VA. He went to work for the United States Treasury Department. He was also a bartender at the Navy Annex in Arlington, VA. He had a part-time job with the Dixie Dime Store in Fairfax County, VA. After retiring from the Treasury Department, Mr. Shaffer worked as a carpenter for the largest realty company in Virginia, Charles E. Smith. He and his wife finally moved to Engelhard around the early eighty’s.

Mr. Shaffer served in the Southern Albemarle Commission, Octagon House Board of Directors and he also delivered meals on wheels for years.

He ran the Engelhard Seafood Festival in its best days for years. He was also the children’s fund orchestrator with the three-county Partnership for Children and was the driver for the NC Governor during the inauguration of the Mann’s Harbor Bridge.

He was the recipient of several NC awards. He gave an enormous amount of blood to the Red Cross. Gallons!

Mr. Shaffer was an icon for Hyde County; he loved the place! All I can say, job well done.

By John Allen Shaffer Jr.

 

A graveside memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 11, 2017 at the family plot in Fulford Cemetery.

The family will gather with friends immediately following the service.

Arrangements are by Bryan Funeral Service, Swan Quarter, where online sympathy messages can be directed to www.bryanfs.com.