Mary L. Shaffer, age 85 of Fremont, Ohio, passed away at Inpatient Bridge Hospice Care Center at Blanchard Valley Hospital on September 12, 2021. She was born November 19, 1935 in Detroit, Michigan to the late Wayne and Martha (Posey) Campbell. She married Donald Shaffer on October 19, 1963. She was preceded in death by her husband and her brother, Gerald Campbell. She is survived by daughters, Cathy (Wendell) Giedeman of Findlay, Connie (Joel) Mayerson of Columbus, Ohio, son Kevin (Lori) Shaffer of Hamilton, Ohio and grandchildren, Bethany Giedeman, Sam Giedeman, Drew Mayerson, Ethan Mayerson, Andrew Shaffer and Kristin Shaffer. Mary was also called mom by David Michael Charles Knight of South Africa (deceased) and Yasuko Hirano of Japan, AFS exchange students the Shaffer family hosted and loved.
Mary had a varied career, starting as a nurse in Detroit where she met and cared for her future husband Don after an auto accident. She enjoyed time at St. Francis Rehab hospital in Green Springs. After turning 50, Mary went back to school and earned her associates degree in business preparing her for her position as Volunteer Coordinator at Fremont Memorial Hospital and led to her final professional position as Foundation Director at Fremont Memorial Hospital. She loved both of those positions and loved making her community a better place.
Mary served the community volunteering with many organizations. Some of the positions she held include Fremont Memorial Hospital Auxiliary President, Fremont Exchange Club President, and District President for the National Exchange Club. Mary was a Master Gardener and served on the Beautification Commission in Fremont. She enjoyed singing and performing with the Terra Choir. She was also very active in Coterie Club and her HOA management. Mary was awarded the Athena Award for excellence in leadership.
Mary was an active member of various church congregations. She and Don were youth group leaders at East Side Presbyterian in Fremont for several years and loved to take the kids camping. When she moved to Findlay she attended St. Andrews UMC with Cathy & Wendell. Mary loved to sing hymns before, during, and after church.
Mary was physically active her whole life. She served on Mt. Brighton, Michigan, ski patrol for over 20 years and took joy and pride in teaching many Fremonters to ski. She skied until she was 79 years old. In the warmer months Mary golfed and rode her bike along the bike trails through Sandusky County where she also spent time as part of the Trail Safety Bike Patrol. At 75 years, Mary rode 100 miles completing the Great Ohio Bike Adventure and the Hancock Horizontal Hundred. She insisted that her 65th birthday party take place on the ice rink of the Fremont Community Recreation Complex where Mary spent much of her time walking if weather did not allow outside activity or to attend one of her favorite exercise classes.
Mary loved to travel. Some of her highlight trips included Israel, Hawaii, camping in Wyoming, skiing in Colorado & Vermont, Ireland, Alaska, Italy & New York City for a Broadway experience.
Mary was very close to her mother Martha. After the Detroit riots of 1967 the Shaffers built an addition on to their house for Martha to live in and she was then part of their daily family life. Martha was a great cook, and food was a big part of the Shaffer family. During the Blizzard of 1978 when Don was Sandusky County Engineer, Mary (and Cathy) cooked for the plow truck drivers for several days.
Like Don, Mary donated her body to the Ohio State University for medical research. A Memorial Service will be held at St. Andrews United Methodist Church, 120 W. Sandusky St, Findlay, Ohio on Sunday, September 19, 2021 at 2:00pm with Pastor Becky Schofield Motter officiating. Visitation will take place from 1 to 2 pm at the church. In an effort to protect one another from COVID, the family is requesting that masks be worn during visitation and throughout the service. Friends and family not in attendance can participate in an online video feed of the service at https://www.saumcfindlay.org/live-streaming-saumcfindlay/. In Lieu of flowers the family requests donations be made to the “Don and Mary Shaffer Music Scholarship Endowment” at Terra State Community College www.terra.edu or an organization of your choice.
The family would like to thank the staff at The Legacy at the Heritage in Findlay, Ohio for the care they gave Mary during her time there. Also, many thanks to the staff at Blanchard Valley Hospital and Bridge Hospice Care Center.
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Erin Rabinowitz
Dear Mayerson Family,
Our deepest condolences on the loss of your mom, mother-in-law, and grandmother. We can’t help but be impressed with how Mary lived life to the fullest. May her memory be a blessing. Thinking of you and sending our love — Bill and Erin Rabinowitz
Deborah m Culbertson
Cathy &the whole Shaffer Family
I also wanted to let all of you how special your mom was ❣️ She made my maternity smocks for me when working at St Francis In Green Springs.
Cathy also worked at St Francis, I’m telling you those were the days of gold . To me those were the golden days of life .Your mom was an angle on earth & now in heaven ❣️Bless you all & be very proud she was your mother ❤️
Michael Shirtz
Dear Shaffer Family,
On behalf of Pamela and myself, we offer our condolences for your loss. Mary was a very special person to us both and an incredible leader, advocate, and supporter of our work in music, education, and the arts. Her friendship gave us both great energy and insight. Mary served as the first president of the Terra Choral Society and led that organization through incredible growth, transformation, and made both that chorus and the College’s music department a pillar for the communities and students it served. Both her and Don we such a blessing and always a joy. Thank you for sharing Mary with all of us. Many blessings to your family as you remember and celebrate her life!
With much gratitude,
Michael & Pamela Shirtz
Marilyn Missler
Mary was most certainly one of the sweetest women I’ve ever known. She will be missed. Prayers and condolences to the family.
Dr. Norb Wethington
I knew Mary and Don as Red Cross volunteers. All the commendations that folks have given are certainly true. Both were genuine gifts to the greater Fremont community. Rest in peace, dear lady of grace !
John and Brenda Havens
Dear Shaffer Family,
I really enjoyed working with Mary on several projects. She sure did alot for the community. May you remember all of the great times you shared with your mom. You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Susann Robitski Zimmerman
To Mary’s family, you have my most sincere condolences. My life’s path intersected with Mary’s several times over the years, and I always appreciated her enthusiasm, good nature, and joy in life. She was an inspiration and example of a life well-lived.
Judy and Herb Weisberg
To Mary’s family –
Condolences on your loss of this very interesting mother and grandmother. Clearly she had a lot of impact on the communities where she lived, on the institutions she engaged with, and family members. How great that you all hosted AFS students! Thank you for this lovely description of a life well lived and one in which age did not prove to be a barrier. How lucky you all were to have such an interesting and vibrant woman in your lives. May her memory be for a blessing.
Alice Proctor
Thank you for letting me know about Mary. We shared some wonderful times together when we were both Volunteer Directors at our hospitals and roomed together at conferences. We continued to meet after retirement for long lunches.
Mary gave so much to her family and community and had such a zest for life. I’m so glad our paths crossed along this life journey
Linda M Gegorski
Sincere sympathy to all the family with thoughts/prayers–may she rest in peace, with no pain and suffering–she is in a better place!! Knew Mary from the hospital, also was a member of the Senior Citizen Sandusky County, when she lived in Fremont, and also was a neighbor to my brother, Dave and his wife Deb Gegorski while living in Fremont. Remember her as a very active person in a walks of life!!
Jerry and Ginny Rodeman
We enjoyed spending time with Mary whether in Michigan skiing, dining, or talking for so many years. So sorry for your loss, but she will remain a part of all who knew and loved her.
Martha Mead
Mary was part of a Tuesday morning women’s golf league at River Cliff golf course in Fremont. I always had the best time when I was her partner. She would tell me about all of her biking adventures and whatever project she was working on. Always elected to walk the golf course rather than ride a golf cart. She was funny, witty, and easy to talk to. Even though I haven’t seen Mary for quite a while, I will miss her. My condolences to the family.
Shirley A Ratzmann
My sympathy goes out to Mary’s family. Mary was a good neighbor. I was amazed at everything that she accomplished during her life. She lived life to the fullest.
Tena & Bob Lechtanski
We had the pleasure of knowing Don & Mary through ski patrol and had a lot of fun times together. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
Chris O'Brien
I am so very sorry for the loss of your mother. I enjoyed doing her nails for many years. She was a very special lady.
Tammy and Dave Campbell
My deepest sympathy and prayers to all of you. Mary was a special lady and had an amazing life.
Susan Jaros
Sincere sympathy in the loss of your mother, Mary. She was an inspiration to many and a stellar leader with a work ethic to match. Don and Mary were both very active in the Fremont Exchange Club and also in Exchange District and National levels. They were both well respected by all who met them. After Don’s passing, Mary went on to become District President and I had the privilege of working beside her and was amazed at her ideas and organization. Mary introduced me to the 818 Club in Fremont for the best liver and onions! (and of course a glass of wine!). Mary epitomized that age was not a factor and was amazed at what she had accomplished. She will be missed, especially by me. I was fortunate to have known her and work beside her in the Exchange Club.
Linda Havens
God bless the angels who now have another angel, my sympathies to the family. I will always have fond memories of Mary.
Aneita Campbell
I remember coming from Detroit to meet the family in 1985 for one of our many Thanksgiving dinners. It was one of the highlights of our family. Most of the times we travelled with Gerald Campbell (Mary’s brother), along with his children Robert, Laurie, and Paul (my fiance at the time). Although she is gone from us temporarily we look forward to seeing her in heaven, the place that Jesus went to prepare for those who placed their trust in Him as their Lord and Saviour( John 14:1-2)
John Fetters
Cathy and Connie and families,
Thank you so much for sharing your Mom and Dad with us over the years. In my over 30 years in the National Exchange Club, I am so proud to call them friends. They were both what I have always called simply “Givers.” They gave of themselves in so many ways. Knowing them for about 25 years, I have never heard anything but good about them. Your Mom was very proud to be have been the first female President of The Fremont Exchange Club. There was a time that your Mom was our OH/WV District Secretary, while your Dad was District Treasurer. Though we will miss them, they are together again in a far better place. We will look forward to seeing them both again some day. As a Pastor told me when my Mother died back in 1978, “She’s sleeping in a much better world tonight than we are.” While we mourn their loss with you, again we thank you for sharing them with us! God Bless.
John S Fetters
Cathy and Connie and families,
Thank for sharing your Mom and Dad with us over the years. In my 30 years of being involved with the National Exchange Club, and the OH/WV District, I have always considered them two of my favorite Exchange friends. Your Mom served 4 years as our District Secretary, and for a year or two your Dad was District Treasurer at the same time. I have never heard anything but great expressions of your parents, and while we mourn their loss, we rejoice in the fact they are together again. As a Pastor told me back in 1978 when I lost my Mom, “She is sleeping in a much better tonight than we are.” No more suffering, we look forward to seeing them again in Heaven.
Thanks again for sharing them with the ret of us!
God Bless!
Barbara Willer Lindstrom
Cathy and family, I was so sorry to hear of Mary’s passing, or perhaps her “release” to do more work for the betterment of th world. She had a lovely family of which to be very proud.