Obituary of Theodore Floyd Shafer

Theodore (Ted) Floyd Shafer, 90, of Overland Park, Kansas, passed away on Saturday morning, May 12, 2018.

Ted was born May 23, 1927 in Roy, Washington. He was the son of Fred and Ada Mae (Johnson) Shafer and the last surviving child of the 14 children of that union.

Ted joined the U. S. Navy when he was just 16, serving in the Pacific on the USS Alabama during World War II, where he was assigned to the stern “quad-40’s”. This was an experience he would never forget and proudly displayed almost ever day, either wearing his shirts or his hats and was seldom seen without his World War II hat.

After his tour of duty, he moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he married Mildred Joan Nutt from Golden City, Missouri in 1952. They were married for 62 years before Joan passed on in 2014. During their time together, they lived in Kansas City (Hickman Mills), Golden City, and the Lake of the Ozarks. After Joan passed, Ted moved to Overland Park, Kansas.

Ted worked as a painter/paint contractor his entire adult life, where he prided himself in providing quality craftsmanship and service to his entire customer-base. He taught each of his children the “trade”, always saying that it was a skillset that could be relied upon when things got tough. Ted loved his gardening and always had fresh vegetables for the table, as well as some unique plants and flowers that added a unique twist to the home front. He was an avid Christian and loved to talk about the Lord. Ted was known for picking up hitchhikers and witnessing to them as long as they would listen. Most of all, Ted loved his family and being with them.

Ted is survived by his two sons; Gregory Floyd Shafer and wife Ofelia Velasquez of Columbia, South America and Steven Lewis Shafer and wife Kamala of Palm Bay, Florida; two daughters, Thea Ann Carter and husband Michael of Overland Park, Kansas and Millette Lorene Witte of Camdenton, Missouri; eight grandsons and seven granddaughters, along with four great grandsons and seven great granddaughters.

Services will be held Thursday, May 17, 2018 from 12:00-2:00 p.m. at Indian Heights United Methodist Church, 10211 Nall Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas 66207.

Military services will be held Friday, May 18, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery, 5201 S. Southwood Road, Springfield, Missouri 65804.