Bruce M. Schafer

Bruce M. Schafer, age 82, of Alliance, passed away at his home due to complications of Covid, on March 31, 2021 surrounded by his family. He was born August 15, 1938 in Tucson, Arizona to Raymond R. and Lillian (Benzer) Schafer. A proud 1956 graduate of Alliance High School, Bruce attended Mount Union College. He retired in 1996 after working for 30 years at Sealed-Air, formerly Diversey Wyandotte Chemical. Bruce was of the Catholic faith, and veteran of the U.S. Army National Guard. He was a member of Sleepy Hollow, the Alliance Elks BPOE 467, where he belonged to the Old Coots. Bruce was a lifelong athlete, participating and teaching others to ice-skate, rollerblade and ski. At the age of 14, he won the City Tournament in Tennis.  He formerly coached Hot Stove Baseball, and Basketball and touch football at the YMCA. He enjoyed skiing at Holiday Valley and yearly trips to Myrtle Beach. An avid golfer, Bruce had 3 holes in one.

He will be forever loved and missed by his family, including his high school sweetheart and wife of 60 years, Darlene (Long) Schafer, who he married September 10, 1960; his beloved granddaughters, Sydney and Ellen Schafer, their mother, Carla Schafer; his niece, Toya Miller; great nieces and nephews, Jennifer (Steve) Bell, Autumn (Mike) Poland, Bryan (Marissa) Miller, Larry Horner family, Teena Simms family, Ty Tolerton, Jana Tolerton, Susan (Michael) Cramer, Lisa (Ron) Rider, and John Tolerton; great-great-nieces and nephews, Owen and Paige Poland, Hunter Potts, Gage Abel, Samuel Miller, Chris Bell, and Geoffery Thompson; and  very special friends, Steve (Jane) Schneider.

Bruce was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Marianne Schafer Tolerton, brother, Raymond J. Schafer, and his son, Todd Schafer.

A Private Memorial Service will be held, with interment at Fairmount Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made in Bruce’s name to the AHS Alumni Foundation P.O.Box 3123 Alliance, OH 44601-7123

Arrangements are entrusted to Cassaday-Turkle-Christian Funeral Home 75 South Union Ave Alliance, Ohio 44601.