Thomas E Shafer

Shortly after World War II, Tom moved with his parents to Union, Illinois, where he worked on the family chicken farm, helping raise more than 2,000 fryers each year.

He attended Marengo Community High School, where he played football. Though he weighed just 98 pounds, he earned the nickname “100 pounds of dynamite on the field.” One year after graduating, Tom was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. The war concluded before he completed basic training, and he proudly served at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in the Combat Engineers division.

On October 1, 1955, Tom married the love of his life, Dolores, beginning a marriage that would last 70 years.

Tom worked as a diesel mechanic for 11 years before joining the Chrysler Corporation in Belvidere, Illinois, where he spent 28 years and eventually retired. He had a remarkable gift for repairing anything mechanical.

He enjoyed fishing, watersports with his grandchildren, camping, boating, collecting guns, target shooting, and tinkering with just about anything that had moving parts.

Tom is survived by his wife, Dolores (Ueber) Shafer; his son, Tim, and daughter-in-law Jeanie (Gron) Shafer; three grandchildren: Amanda, Cassandra (Hoover), and Perry; and one great-granddaughter, Silvia (Hoover).

A private interment ceremony will be held at a later date.