Obituary of Frederick Erwin Sheaffer

Frederick (Fred) Erwin Sheaffer, 83, of Oro Valley, AZ passed away on December 25, 2023.

Fred was born October 15, 1940, in Dixon, Illinois. He grew up on his family’s dairy farm with his brother and two sisters. Fred was selected to attend college at the United States Military Academy West Point where he earned his commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. He served 24 years from 1958 to 1982, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. His military career started as an infantry officer, with multiple tours in the Vietnam War, and progressed into intelligence roles supporting the U.S. military and the U.S. national intelligence agencies. After retirement from the U.S. Army, Fred continued to serve his country through civilian positions with G.E. Aerospace, Lockheed Martin, and AT&T. Fred earned many commendations during his military service, to include the Legion of Merit.

Throughout his life, Fred lived in Virginia, Maryland, and Hawaii. In 2011, Fred settled in Tucson, AZ. There he continued his commitment to community service, notably in the American Legion, Post 132, Color Guard & Honor Guard.

Fred is survived by sisters Janet Heindel and Diane Helin, brother Dean Sheaffer, daughter Marcella O'Brien and husband Chris, son John Sheaffer and wife Teri, and five grandchildren Sean, Jack, Malia, Kiley and Max.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 46 years, Alyce B. Sheaffer.

A memorial service will be held on Friday, January 12th, 2024 at 10:00 am Mountain Time at the Avalon Chapel, 8090 N. Northern Ave, Oro Valley, AZ 85704. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to the MS Society (https://www.nationalmssociety.org/Donate) or DAV (https://www.dav.org/ways-to-give).