Nancy Jane Shaffer

April 8, 1950 - May 27, 2022

Nancy started a journey with a glioblastoma in November, 2021. Despite surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, her journey was far too short. It ended peacefully on Friday, May 27, 2022, when she died quietly at home. Nancy Jane Gienger was born April 8, 1950 in Huntingdon, PA, the oldest of three daughters of J. Robert (Bob) and Patricia Gienger. As a high school junior, she began dating Paul Shaffer, the love of her life, in a relationship that lasted 55 years. Nancy graduated from Huntingdon Area High School in 1968, then earned an associate degree from Robert Morris College in Pittsburgh, PA. From Pittsburgh, Nancy moved to East Lansing, MI, where Paul was a student at Michigan State University. She worked for MSU in the Department of Criminal Justice, the Foreign Student Office and College of Osteopathic Medicine. Nancy and Paul were married in East Lansing on May 27, 1971; ironically, her death came on their wedding anniversary. In 1978, Nancy and Paul moved to Charlottesville, VA when Paul started graduate school at the University of Virginia; both their children - daughter Anne and son Eric - were born there. While in Charlottesville, Nancy worked at UVA hospital for four years, then for the Lions Clubs of Virginia Hearing Foundation. The family moved to Corvallis in August, 1984 when Paul took a job as a contractor for the US EPA. When the kids started school, Nancy went back to school and earned a BS from Oregon State. She also renewed her career, starting in 1986 at Garfield Elementary School. She began working at Corvallis High School in 1995 and continued there until her retirement in 2016. Nancy ran Beyond CHS college and career counseling center, and guided its growth from a small volunteer-led organization to a program with more than 40 volunteers. Beyond CHS provided college information and support for CHS students with college applications, financial aid, college testing and Senior Awards Night. CHS was much more than a job for Nancy – she had a deep passion for work with “her” students in helping them find their individual path to adulthood, college, and a career. She looked forward to going to work every day, and often claimed that she had the best job in the Corvallis School District because she got to work with engaged students every day. In 2012, Nancy was recognized by the Pacific Northwest Association of College Admission Counseling for her “longstanding, exemplary service to students,” and in 2016, she was honored by the Corvallis Schools Foundation with a Golden Apple Award. The awards were greatly appreciated as a recognition of her good work, but what mattered most to Nancy were student achievements in school, in careers, and in life, and her long-term relationships with them. Perhaps the best measure of Nancy’s career is expressed in comments of former CHS students: • “The measure of a person is whether they have used their lives to help others and leave the world a better place. In this regard, you embody what most can only aspire to.” • “A whole village of CHS grads hold so much love for you; you give so many people hope.” • “Thank you for helping me reach my dreams.” • “Your impact at CHS was immeasureable.” • “You have pushed and inspired so many in our community to flee from comfort zones and to go out and make a difference in the world. You made a big difference in many young lives.” After retirement in 2016, Nancy and Paul travelled extensively, including cruises to the Mediterranean, the Panama Canal and Alaska, annual winter trips to Maui, trips to see family on the east coast, up and down the west coast and to the desert southwest, and a driving trip around the USA in 2016 that included 35 states (Nancy was proud to have visited all 50). She was a diehard fan of Michigan State basketball and a fan of Beaver sports, including season tickets to OSU Women’s basketball. She served as a volunteer at Grace Center and on their Board of Directors. Nancy was a lifelong member of the Presbyterian Church. At the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis, she served as a deacon, an elder and as a member of the Board of Trustees. She also doted shamelessly on grandson Ethan after his birth in 2017. The family thanks Nancy’s many friends who supported us during her journey. Your cards, flowers, visits, and meals, along with your thoughts, prayers and love, were a huge source of comfort and support. You lifted her spirits, especially as she made the transition to hospice and neared her end. Your messages also provided an uplifting affirmation for the family that Nancy meant so much to so many, especially to the CHS community. We thank the staff at Samaritan Evergreen Hospice, who supported Nancy and the family during her final days; your care and support were a blessing for her and the family. Nancy is survived by Paul, her husband of 51 years, daughter Anne (husband Jeffrey Tuma) of Port Orchard, WA, son Eric of Corvallis, and one grandson, Ethan Tuma of Port Orchard, WA. She also is survived by her mother Patricia Seward (Midlothian, VA), two sisters - Betsy Rosso (husband Ray, Pittsburgh, PA) and sister Cathy Luxhoj (husband Jim, Chesterfield, VA) - by sister-in-law Beth Shaffer (Porterville, CA), brother-in-law David Shaffer (spouse Donna Weistrop) of Flagstaff, AZ, and by numerous nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Life will be held on Thursday, July 7, at 10:30 AM at the First Presbyterian Church in Corvallis. Contributions in memory of Nancy can be made to Grace Center for Adult Day Services (980 Spruce St., Corvallis, OR 97330; on line at https://gracecenter-corvallis.org) or to a scholarship fund in Nancy’s memory for Corvallis High School students through the Corvallis Public Schools Foundation (1555 SW 35th St., Corvallis, OR 97333; on line at https://CPSfoundation.org). Please share your thoughts and memories for the family at www.demossdurdan.com