William "Bill" Howard Shaffer

William (Bill) Howard Shaffer, 85, passed away on June 30, 2023, in Overland Park, Kansas, surrounded by loved ones. Preceding him in death was his beloved wife, Reno May, who passed away last year on July 3, 2022.

Visitation will be held from 9:00 am to 11:00 am, Thursday, August 3, 2023, at the First Christian Church of Louisburg, 602 N 1st St, Louisburg, Kansas 66053. Memorial service to follow at 11:00 am, also at the church. Private family inurnment will be held at the Wagstaff Cemetery.

Born August 7, 1937 near Burlington, Kansas to Lyle and Marjorie (née Recek) Shaffer. Bill was raised on a farm near Gridley, Kansas with his two brothers. He attended Sunnyside one-room schoolhouse and graduated from Lamont High School in 1955.

He married his high school sweetheart Reno May Sleezer on April 14, 1957. They spent the next 65 years enjoying their life and family together. They lived in Topeka, Kansas and Kansas City, Kansas until settling in Bucyrus, Kansas in 1967. They had three children, Joe Shaffer of Paola, Kansas, Jeff Shaffer of Pleasanton, Kansas, and Dianne Dennis of Overland Park, Kansas.

Bill started working for the Kansas Department of Transportation out of high school. He took civil engineering night classes, which launched his career in road construction. Around 1980 he went to work as an estimator for Reno Construction/Apac until his retirement in the late 1990s.

After his retirement, Bill and Reno moved to Drexel, Missouri and lived there until moving to Louisburg, Kansas in 2014. In 2019 they moved to Park Meadows Senior Living in Overland Park, Kansas. Bill and Reno were a team in everything they did. They loved RV camping, visiting extended family all over the country, as well as organizing and hosting countless large family gatherings. They also loved gardening, birdwatching, and all things outdoors. Their 65 years of marriage were an example of a loving partnership to all who knew them.

Bill had a reserved personality and a quick dry wit. He was intelligent, hardworking, and dependable, a devoted son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend. He had many talents and never hesitated to use his skills to help others. He loved farming and was an expert gardener, passing down his knowledge and love of gardening to his sons. He was a skilled woodworker, crafting beautiful handmade pieces for family and friends and church fundraisers.

He was a committed member of each community in which he lived, helping friends and farming neighbors with their harvests and repairs. He served his church by helping with repairs and maintenance. He went on a church trip to the Philippines to help local farmers repair equipment. He shared a love for collecting and repairing Wheel Horse tractors with his brother-in-law George.

Bill is preceded in death by his parents, his wife Reno May, his brother-in-law Johnnie Sleezer, his great-grandson Keshawn Turner, and his nephew Don Sleezer He leaves behind his three children, his brothers Lyle Ardeen (Geri) of Joplin, MO, Larry Eugene (Carol) of Overbook, KS, and his brothers-in-law George (Rose), Roy (Diana), and Jim (Judy) Sleezer and their families.

Bill was a loving and patient grandfather and is survived by seven grandchildren: Lesley Shaffer, Jill Evans, Tara Knapp, Ryan Shaffer, Andy Shaffer, Katie Dennis Gunnerson, and Kelsey Hall. Bill is also survived by fourteen great-grandchildren: Alexis, Malcolm, and Cameron Turner, Hayden Taber, Avery Evans, Kinsley Shaffer, Emery and Brayley Harris, Leia and Ethan Shaffer, Harland and August Shaffer, and Wren and Owen Hall, and his first great-great grandchild Amani Turner. He leaves behind not only his immediate family, but his large extended family, several church communities, and close friends in each place he called home.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made payable to Harbor Hospice or the First Christian Church of Louisburg, c/o Dengel & Son Mortuary, PO Box 669, Louisburg, Kansas 66053.