Patricia Joan Sheaffer

Patricia Joan Kopache Sheaffer, cherished mother, grandmother, great grandmother, aunt, sister, neighbor and friend woke up in the arms of Jesus on July 16, 2020. 

She was born on October 7, 1934, in Canton, OH.  Along with several siblings, she lived with foster parents, George and Mildred Kinney where she helped support the family berry and vegetable business.  Patricia graduated from Middlebranch High School, class of 1952. 

One month after graduation, she married the love of her life, Ray Sheaffer, also from Canton. Together they raised a lively family of seven children in a house with one bathroom.  In addition, to ensuring her children grew up with unconditional love, she made sure physical needs were taken care of by holding a variety of jobs as a secretary, store clerk, make-up saleswoman, professional cake decorator, candy maker, and 22 years as respected librarian and secretary of Marlboro Grade School.  

Mom was a woman of uncommon intelligence, compassion, talent and culinary skill who believed most problems could be overcome with a plate of pot roast and homemade pie.  She spent thousands of hours canning and freezing bushels of vegetables, fruit and meat to feed her large family and to share with those less fortunate. In her later years, her kitchen was still the hub of many family memories and she was known around the community for her gifts of strawberry jam and salsa. So many pictures of grandchildren and great grandchildren covered her refrigerator that it was hard to find the door handles.

She was committed to making a difference in her community and opened our home to inner-city children and international guests as well as volunteering in numerous charity functions and community events. She had a special place in her heart for children, the homeless and the lonely and continued sending cards and charity donations until a week before her death. She was an active member of the Church of the Brethren attending East Nimishillen and Hartville churches where she developed lifelong friendships and was always one of the first to offer help and support to others.

Patricia is preceded in death by her foster parents, her beloved husband of forty seven years, son David Sheaffer, daughter Beverly Sheaffer and great granddaughter, Lydia Walton, sister Nancy Penhorwood and brother Steve Kopache.

She is survived by three sons, Dennis (Vondea) Sheaffer of Hartville, OH, Michael Sheaffer of Seattle, WA, Philip (Debbie)  Sheaffer of Atwater, OH and two daughters, Rebecca (Jeff) Wiles of Payson, AZ and Faith (Dennis) Sheaffer-Polen of Hartville, OH, sisters Nikki Frederick and Deri Huffman of San Diego, CA, brothers Gerald Kopache of Santa Barbara, CA, Rocky Frederick of San Diego, and Tom (Ana) Kopache of New York City, 15 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.

In celebration of her life long love of books and the desire for everyone to be able to read, the family is requesting donations be made to Rodman Public Library home delivery service, 215 East Broadway St., Alliance, OH 44601, 330-821-2665.

Private graveside service. Celebration of Life at a later date.

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