Richard Curtis Shaffer

Richard Curtis Shaffer passed peacefully after a short and unexpected battle with lung cancer on March 31, 2009. He celebrated his 70th birthday the week before. There are many places he will be missed in Fort Collins. Perhaps on the city bus routes he drove for a decade till his retirement in September. From the seat of a bus you can see everything he said, the hope and promise of young fresh faces, and the fear and despair of the growing numbers of needy people. He will be missed by some who read this paper, for the many letters and soapbox articles he has published here, always championing the cause of peace, the cause of justice, and the environment. Richard credited his incredible self discipline to his Marine training. He enlisted at 17 and served on an aircraft carrier where he developed a love for the sea. He studied journalism for a time after his service was completed, and often felt more comfortable speaking with the pen than the spoken word. At thirty, feeling that he was getting very old, he acquired a thirty foot sailboat, a book on navigation, and a sextant and a compass. He navigated by the stars from San Francisco to Honolulu. This journey led him to a very different journey. Richard studied for the Priesthood, and was ordained in a non-sectarian teaching and service Order in 1971. His ministry spanned 20 years officially, but certainly has been his foundation throughout his life. Richard started his work on the most notorious heroin dealing street corner in San Francisco at the time, in a broken down ex-brothel rented from the city for a dollar a year. In time it was evident that homelessness was not just a problem of alcoholics and drug addicts, but the women and children who were impacted by these problems. The first Raphael House came into being, again a rundown building rented from the city for a dollar a year. This was one of the first shelters for women and children in the nation. There was finally a place where women and children could find shelter from the
storm, A newer Raphael House followed and continued from this humble beginning way beyond Richard's years of service, and continues to serve the city of San Francisco' s families. During those same years, Richard organized the small Christian Community with which he was associated to raise funds for Cambodian relief. The festival event, held at the Hall of Flowers in San Francisco was a great success. Its proceeds, combined with funds raised by Joan Baez, went to the refugee camps in Cambodia. San Francisco saw the scourges of war first hand and was always flooded with refugees. Richard, who never saw combat in the Marines, encountered it every day in the streets of San Francisco. Richard married his wife Deidre in San Francisco in 1972, and in 1986 he moved with his wife and three young children to Denver, away from inner city life. He joined a friend in business and became an expert craftsman, a custom bootmaker. He worked at every stock show. Cowboy poet Baxter Black wears a pair of his boots, as does Nascar racer Richard Childress. Richard and his family moved to Ft. Collins in the summer of 1998, and he became a strong supporter of Strength through Peace, and has loved working with the Community in Ft. Collins. In the few months of his illness he talked about the great need of so many young families. He was excited about the opening of the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope, and certainly would have volunteered his services there. He asks that you send no flowers, but please think of those in need at this time, and give in whatever way you can in your own community, whether it be to your local Food Bank, or your neighbor in need. Richard is survived by his wife Deidre Shaffer of Ft. Collins; his son Zeb Shaffer of Ft. Collins; his daughter Bronwyn Shaffer of Atlanta, Ga.; his daughter Abiah Shaffer of Ft. Collins; and his granddaughter Anijah Young of Atlanta, Ga. He is also survived by his mother Catherine Currier of Vancouver, Wash.; his sister Barbara France of Saxapahaw, N.C.; his sister Linda Kresge of Tannersville, Pa.; and his brother Nicholas Currier of Vancouver, Wash. Richard is preceded in death by his father Eugene Shaffer of E. Stroudsburg, Pa.; and his sister Kathy Jo Shaffer formerly of E. Stroudsburg. A celebration of his life will be held on April 25th, 2009 from 3:30 to 6 pm, at the home of his daughter, 2524 Timber Ct., Ft. Collins, 80521.