Carol Diane Shaffer

On March 4, 2025, age 88 of Cherry Hill, NJ, formerly of Berea, KY; wife of the late Robert W. “Bob” Shaffer; loving mother of Stephen Patrick Shaffer (Starr) of Weddington, NC; Beth Marcellite Schlitt (Mark) of Haddonfield, NJ; Collin Winfield Shaffer of Richmond, VA; Robert Benjamin Shaffer of Berea, KY and the late Daniel Efrem Shaffer (Dinah) of Richmond, VA.  She was also Mimi to 15 grandchildren: Clare Shaffer (Brendan) of Greenville, SC; Rex Shaffer (Mady) of Philadelphia, PA; Samuel Shaffer of Weddington, NC; Raymond Schlitt (Bia) of Haddonfield, NJ; Helene and Robert Schlitt of Haddonfield, NJ; William, Catharine, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Elaine Shaffer of Richmond, VA; Camryn Shaffer (Amber) of Berea, KY; Aaron, Kierstin and Kaitlin Shaffer of Berea, KY and Great Grandmother to Atreyu Thornton, of Little Rock, AR.  Carol was also the dear sister of David Philips (Eleanor) and the late Raymond Phillips.

Carol Diane Shaffer was born on April 10, 1936, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania amid an historic flood.  She grew up in a loving home with her parents Raymond and Marcellite, and her two brothers, Raymond and David.

As a young girl her art teacher noticed her natural gift for drawing. This inspired her lifelong passion for art. As a child she also studied dance and as a teen she was a cheerleader.  In her senior year of high school she was crowned queen of the Flaming Foliage Festival in Renovo, Pennsylvania. The annual festival celebrates the vivid fall colors of the trees on the area’s mountains.  She was chosen for her character, poise, and her ability to communicate with others.

Carol received a scholarship to Penn State University and later attended the Barbizon School of Modeling in New York City. In the evenings she worked as an usher at Carnegie Hall. This experience introduced her to world-class music and dance. After training at Barbizon, she began a modeling career, working in fashion shows at major retailers in New York City.

During this time, Carol dated Bob Shaffer, whom she knew from her hometown of Williamsport. Bob was just embarking on his calling as a Presbyterian Minister. On April 18, 1959 they were married and began a lifelong partnership that impacted every community they touched.

They started their family in Ogdensburg, New Jersey, then later moved to Glassboro, New Jersey. Bob’s passion for service led them to their eventual move in 1967 to Berea, Kentucky and a lifetime love for that community. Four years later, Bob was transferred to Philadelphia, and they moved their family of five children to Haddonfield, New Jersey. There, Carol was active in the Presbyterian Church, serving as an elder and leading a ministry that cared for the women in the Camden City Jail. She was also a partner in The Wooden Peg, an antique store in Haddonfield.

In 1991, when their nest was empty, they moved to a large farm in Estill County, Kentucky not far from Berea. Carol and Bob restored and expanded the dilapidated two-room log cabin, making a comfortable and inviting home and a relaxing place for the many guests they entertained over the years. They learned to operate a farm and bred beef cattle. While living on the farm Carol cultivated beautiful flower gardens, learned to weave, created unique textile and fiber art, and honed her skills as a watercolor artist.

After seventeen years on the farm, they sold the land and moved back to Berea.  Carol continued to study and evolve as a fine artist and was invited to be a part of many regional art guilds. Her watercolor paintings were often of scenes from nature, her favorite subject.

In 2020, Carol and Bob relocated to Southern New Jersey where she continued living after Bob’s death in January of 2022.

Carol loved her family, her friends, being outdoors, song birds, wild flowers, giant trees, animals, reading, Scandinavian design, her many antique collections, restoring and refinishing furniture, sewing, and painting.

She was known for her generosity, her sense of humor, her passion for learning, her knowledge of antiques, her ability to make a friend from a stranger on a park bench, her knack for choosing the perfect gift for someone, her brilliant watercolor paintings, her strength of spirit, and her white cakes with peanut butter icing waiting on the kitchen counter for guests to arrive.

Carol taught us through example to never give up on anyone and to love unconditionally. She will be deeply missed by all whose lives she touched.

The family will gather privately at this time.