He served in the United States Air Force for 21 years. While stationed in Japan, he met and married Yoshiko Higashihama, his wife of 58 years. After retiring from the Air Force, he went to work on his second career as a pipefitter for Brown & Root-Dupont where he worked another 15 years and then embarked on a third career with Warwick Heating and Air Conditioning.
“Sarge” was a musician in the Air Force and traveled the world sharing music with millions of people across the globe. He loved all kinds of music and played a variety of instruments to include the clarinet, bass clarinet, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones. There wasn’t a place you could mention that he hadn’t been to. “Sarge” was a also a self-taught mechanic, once partnering with one of his closest friends in the operation of a service station, and a self-taught carpenter, independently converting his current residence from a one-story, three-bedroom home, to a two-story, five bedroom home. When he became gravely ill, it wasn’t until he was returned to his home, surrounded by his family, that he felt comfortable enough to depart this life. In his later years he received much enjoyment from backyard barbecues and his role as “grandpa”.
“Sarge” was preceded in death by his mother and father, Dorothy and James Shaffer, and his brother, MSGT Paul M. Shaffer, of Little Rock, AR.
He is survived by his wife, Yoshiko, his two sons, James and Paul, daughter and son-in-law Raquel and Miles, his beloved grandson Sachio, and his brother and sister-in-law Robert A. and Sue Shaffer of Anchorage, AK and several nieces and nephews.
The family will receive friends from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday, March 1, 2019 at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home and Memorial Park. A celebration of James’ life will be held 12:00 pm, Friday, March 1, at the funeral home. Interment will follow at Parklawn Memorial Park.
Friends are encouraged to visit www.parklawn-woodfh.com to share memories and words of condolence with the family.
Arrangements are under the care of Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 2551 N. Armistead Avenue, Hampton, Virginia 23666.
