John Richard Shaffer

On August 28, 2011, John Richard Shaffer passed away in Collegedale, Tennessee. He will be dearly missed by his friends and family. He was born in Jackson Twp., near Cooperstown, Pennsylvania, on September 16, 1915, the first son of John William Shaffer and Elizabeth Emma Burkhardt.
Richard grew up on the family farm with his brothers Clifford and Boyd, both now deceased. Because of his fathers poor health, much of the burden of dairy farming fell on Richard at a young age. He plowed the fields, milked the cows, fed the animals, slaughtered and butchered pigs, delivered milk, prepared meals, etc. The hard work made him strong, a physical prowess which enabled him as a teenager to rescue a heavier boy from drowning in French Creek while others stood by helplessly. He enjoyed hunting and became an excellent marksman. When he was thirteen, his mother died from the mumps contracted while helping a neighbor care for her ill child.He attended a one-room school, learning so rapidly that he skipped two grades. In his spare moments he would read the dictionary and he was especially good at math. He was sent to Meadville to attend high school and lived with his aunt and grandmother there, graduating when he was only 16. He worked many odd jobs to help support the family and, eventually, won a tool and die apprenticeship at the Talon (Zipper) Company which he completed in 1939.
A year after his mothers death, the home his grandfather had built burned to the ground, and his father, with the aid of neighbors and his sister, built a new house on the farm. His father continued to struggle financially, eventually remarried, produced a daughter, and moved to Mississippi. Richard continued to pay off his fathers debts. He sold the farm and gave the proceeds to his aunt. A careful investor, his concern for the financial welfare of close and extended family members continued throughout his life.
On July 13, 1939, he married Helen Baker of Meadville, whom he had met at Grace Methodist Church where they were both active in the Epworth League. In 1940 the couple moved to Dayton, Ohio, where Richard could get a job in his trade at a time when jobs were scarce. The tool shop for which he worked was honored with the Army-Navy 'E' Production Award during World War II and he proudly wore the pin on his lapel. Later, while a Frigidaire employee, he worked on General Motors new automobile air-conditioning system.He attended the University of Dayton and received his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering in 1948. He later earned his Professional Engineer status and became a member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers. While living in Dayton, Richard and Helens two children were born, Karl in 1944 and Karen in 1947, and baptized in the Methodist church the family attended.
In 1949, Richard and Helen moved to Columbus, Ohio. Richard took a cut in pay from the tool and die trade to begin work as an engineer at Columbus Bolt and Forging. After half a year, the family moved into the new house Richard and Helen had built in Upper Arlington, a small suburb of Columbus.
Richard and Helen joined the growing congregation of Trinity Methodist Church, each taking roles in the church school. Richard helped with plans for the new church building, which was completed in 1952. Richard served as church school superintendent and on the pastor-parish relations committee for many years. Twice, the church sponsored refugees, from Europe and from Cuba, and the Shaffers helped them get settled.
They also helped family members get established in Columbus with jobs and living quarters. They got involved with Scouting, Richard serving as Institutional Representative and troop committee member as Karl climbed to the rank of Eagle Scout, and Helen supporting the Girl Scouts as Karen achieved her Curved Bar rank.
In 1957, Richard took a Senior Engineering Position at the new Western Electric Plant across town. He was awarded a patent while there for a method for assembling the 'Twister' memory. The family lived in Columbus until 1967 when Richard transferred to Western Electrics Engineering Research Center in Princeton, NJ. They lived in Ewing, NJ.
As a Senior Research Engineer he solved many unique engineering problems and was awarded two patents in the field of high-pressure metal-forming. He retired after 20 years with the company. Richard and Helen were active in the Pennington United Methodist Church in nearby Pennington and the Telephone Pioneers.
After his retirement, Richard built several grandfather clocks, taught classes in industrial arts, played golf, and traveled. He especially enjoyed his travels to the West and to the Canadian Rockies and on to Alaska with his grandson Alex.
In 1996, Richard and Helen moved to Lakeland, Florida, to be near her sister Laura Jean and her husband Charles Hunt. They continued their church attendance there, were active in the Telephone Pioneers, and made friends with their neighbors in Highland Fairways. Always fond of golf, Richard continued to enjoy this sport.
In 2005, in the face of advancing age, Richard and Helen decided to move near their son in Chattanooga. Their health soon began to fail but they were well cared for by their son Karl and his wife Pat. Richard remained a keen observer of nature, watching birds and squirrels and other wildlife in the woods outside his window until the end.
Richard was deeply saddened by the loss of his wife of 72 years in May. He suffered a broken hip and possible stroke in August and never recovered. He is survived by his children, Karl Richard Shaffer (m. Patricia Lambert) of Harrison, TN and Karen Alice Shaffer of Brevard, NC, his grandchild, William Karl Alexander Shaffer (m. Cristine Hubatka) of Orange, TX, and his great granddaughters, Heidi and Allie. He is also survived by his half-sister Nancy Ann Savage (m. Carl Savage) of Martin, TN, and by many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 19 at Stone United Methodist Church in Meadville, PA. Interment at Greendale Cemetery at 9:30 a.m.
Interment will take place in Greendale Cemetery, West Mead Twp.
Arrangements are under the direction of Stephen P. Mizner Funeral Home & Cremation Services, Inc., 404 Chestnut St., Meadville, PA 16335.
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