Joseph W. Shafer, 85, of Gilead, Indiana passed early Thursday, February 19, 2026 at his home, with his beloved wife of 63 years by his side.
Joe was born at home on October 23, 1940, the third of six children, to the late Chester and Evelyn (Neterer) Shafer. He was a 1958 graduate of Gilead High School, where he was vice-president of a class of nine. He served his country in the U.S. Navy for four years, spending time on the USS Bryce Canyon and the USS Frontier. He met Sadie Whitaker when his cousin Carolyn Nixon introduced them, and they married a few years later on September 1, 1962, under a flowered arch in the yard at her parents’ home near Sidney.
He retired from R. R. Donnelly in Warsaw and he and Sadie settled into their lives on the farm, where the Shafer family have lived for over 100 years. He attended the Akron Church of God and was baptized there with his granddaughter Casey on January 28, 2024, in the presence of family, saying afterward that he should have done it long before. Joe was quiet, sometimes grumpy, often dryly funny, always generous, and a loving and proud dad and papa. He had both a gentle side and an artistic one, evident in the furniture and cabinetry and porch swings he built. He was a brother all of his life and by all accounts, he was excellent at that, too, and he spread those skills among an army of nieces and nephews.
He is survived by his wife Sadie, along with their children, Kevin (Robyn) Shafer of The Villages, Florida; Kelly (Ellen) Shafer of New Haven; Kathy (Chris) Hammond of Gilead; Kory (Amy) Shafer of Mexico; 19 grandchildren Sara (Tony) Biggs, Brian (Ginny) Nider, Casey (Sheldon) Keefer, Aric (Blake) Shafer, Kelsey (Brian) Neely, Madyson (Josh) Stewart, Lily Shafer, Lucy Shafer, Avery Fines, Isaac Shafer, Sam Shafer, Wade Fines, and Kaylea Shafer; nine great-grandchildren, Alexandra, Kennedy, Brooklynn, Jackson, Mason, Peyton, Sadie,Sheena, and Saylor; and sister Liz (Duane) Flaherty of Deedsville.
Joe was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Danny Shafer and Thomas Shafer, and sisters Christine Shafer and Nancy Jean Dotson.
The funeral service will take place at 12:00 noon, Wednesday, February 25, 2026 at Akron Church of God 301 South West Street Akron, Indiana with Pastor Mandy Nellans and Pastor Kathy Nelson officiating. Visitation will also be held one hour prior to the service.
The interment will take place following the service in the Gilead Cemetery, Gilead, Indiana.
Visitation hours will be held from 4 pm to 6 pm, Tuesday, February 24, 2026 at Akron Church of God, Akron, Indiana.
The arrangements have been entrusted to Hartzler Funeral Home 305 West Rochester Street Akron, Indiana.
Memorial contributions can be made in his memory to Akron Church of God.
