Carol Ruth Shaffer

Carol Ruth Jones Shaffer

September 12, 1950 – August 29, 2017

Carol Ruth Jones Shaffer 66, born in Dallas, TX departed her Earthly home on Tuesday, August 29, 2017. A visitation will be held on Friday, September 1, 2017 at Rhoton Funeral Home, 1511 South Interstate 35E, Carrollton, TX 75006 (972) 242-5261. A memorial service and celebration of Carol’s life will be held at Bent Tree Bible Fellowship Church, 4141 International Pkwy, Carrollton, TX 75007 on Saturday, September 2, 2017 at 1:00p.m upstairs in the treehouse (follow the signs). Jason Fanning and Don Shelton will be officiating the service. Burial will follow the service at Hilltop Memorial Park, 1810 N. Perry Road, Carrollton, TX 75006. Please wear maroon to honor Carol Ruth in this time to celebrate a life of a great woman.

Carol Ruth was born September 12, 1950 to Bryan Gilbert and Doris Ruth Jones. She attended R.L. Turner High School and studied history at Texas Women’s University, but before finishing found her love Dr. Oliver Joseph Shaffer in 1974. Little did either of them know what the Lord had in store for them when they purchased 4 acres, a house, and veterinary clinic from Dr. T.K. Hardy using loans from both sets of parents in February of 1979. This was the beginning of the Flower Mound Veterinary Hospital in Flower Mound, Texas. Together they worked countless hours and answered calls and pages 24/7 just the two them until the client base was increasing and they needed help. Carol Ruth made her first and most important hire in March of 1980 when she hired Maggie Rodriguez now Maggie Gracia. This team of three is what made the veterinary clinic what it is today, but Carol Ruth was the rock who kept the business together and out of financial quagmires. Marriage can be very difficult, but throw in the stress of managing a small business together and one has a recipe for disaster, unless the two happened to complement each other and work as a team. And work as a team they did and what a role model it was for both Kristy and Jacob to follow as well as anyone else who cared about a dedicated, hardworking married team.

A daughter, a sister, a wife, a mother, a grandmother, and the most loyal friend anyone could ever have (Cindy Veal Richardson friend of 56 years). God called his selfless daughter home on His time and not on our Earthly time, and this is something the human mind cannot understand, even with faith the pain is extremely piercing like a sharp knife wound.

Carol Ruth’s life goal was to be a grandmother or MiMi as she was called, and she filled this role, like she does everything else, above and beyond. Carol would drive 300 miles and fight a dragon if her daughter asked her to watch the grandkids, but to Carol’s surprise, she looked up one day it was only a 12 mile journey. From Disney World to backyard swimming pools, Carol had all the fun activities covered for her grandchildren. If love was a number, no mathematician would be able to count as high, as much love she had for children and grandchildren. Being a MiMi came naturally and truly met all of her goals of being a great wife, mother, and homemaker.

If Carol was not serving or entertaining grandchildren, hiring or firing employees, crunching numbers for her baby brother’s business, she was selling grass fed beef and hay for her baby boy Jacob Shaffer. The saying is, you can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl is so true. Carol loved helping Jacob with cattle, hay, dog training, anything that high energy boy of hers was up to. It was so extreme Carol was even run over by a young bull calf and knocked to the ground, but got up and kept trying to help even though Jacob told her to get out of the pen. The dedication and love this woman had for those around her is comparable to absolutely nothing anyone has ever seen before. Even being around her, it is hard for the brain to comprehend how unselfish and giving she was.

Carol also loved the U.S.A, John Wayne, Aggie Football and one better not talk down about either or a fight was coming your way fast. The Merle Haggard song fighting side of describes Carol Ruth, “When they’re runnin’ down my country, man, they’re walkin’ on the fightin’ side of me.” Carol was never afraid to show how patriotic she was, likewise, she bled maroon. She married an Aggie, her older brother was an Aggie, she sent two kids to Texas A&M who both earned Master’s Degrees, and one was a walk on track runner, whom she never missed a track meet. Carol has been to California, El Paso, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Houston, College Station, and Waco just to name a few locations to show her Aggie Pride. Not to mention being a football season ticket holder for 6 straight years. Carol could talk football or track with the best of anyone. Carol owned over 100 John Wayne movies and could quote from any of them. Her son was named after the movie Big Jake only because Dr. Shaffer would not allow him to be named John Wayne Shaffer.

Carol also loved to cook and would make enough to feed a small army. She was well known for her homemade desserts to include: apple pie, coconut cream pie, angel food cake, lemon ice box pie, cherry pie, brownies, homemade ice cream, and the list could go on forever. How she found time to cook so much delicious food is beyond one’s mind. And yes, she taught her grandchildren how to cook as well.

Carol was preceded in death by her father Bryan Gilbert Jones of Carrollton, Texas. Carol Ruth is survived by her loving and dedicated husband Dr. Oliver Joseph Shaffer of 42 years, son who loved her more than she knew Oliver Jacob Shaffer, daughter who respected and adored her Kristy Ruth Dixon, son in law who loved his Mother in Law; Max Dixon, grandchildren who loved their MiMi more than ice cream; Kellyn Ruth Dixon 10, Rhett Micah Dixon 8, Bryan Boaz Dixon 3, and Priscilla Hope Dixon 2; older brother Randall Jones and wife Pat Jones of Round Rock, younger brother Doc Jones of Carrollton; nephews Scott Jones and wife, Christina Jones of Southlake; Brent Jones and wife, Poppy Jones of Cedar Park; Cameron Shaffer of Houston, Patrick Grady and wife, Amanda Grady of Garland; Brian Michael Grady of Michigan; nieces Lauren Ruth Gordon and husband, Marty Gordon of Round Rock, Brooke Brockman and husband, Don of Houston.

The family would like to extend their sincerest appreciation to all the friends and family who contributed time, prayers, food, calls, text, more prayers, more time, etc.. to express their love of Carol in these very difficult times. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Carol's memory to Gary Sinise Foundation, or Wounded Warrior Program; or the Youth Scholarship Fund for the Waterfowl Brigade. The Youth Scholarship Fund pays the tuition costs for youth to attend the summer camps when they cannot afford to on their own. Donations for the youth camps can be directed to the attention of Texas Brigades, 3660 Thousand Oaks Drive, Suite 126, San Antonio, 78247. Or, please feel free to donate to a charity of your choosing.