Wendy Jo Shaffer Obituary

Wende Jo Shaffer, a Minnesota native most recently living in North Carolina, died in the freak mid-air collision between an American Airlines plane and an Army helicopter in Washington, D.C.

Shaffer was among those killed in Wednesday’s crash. A GoFundMe campaign started by friends of her family referred to her as a “loving wife and mom to two little boys, ages 1 and 3.”.

The family of Shaffer, in a statement released by the fundraiser, said: “We are absolutely devastated. There are no words to describe what Wendy Jo was as a daughter, sister, friend, wife and above all a mumma. The family wishes for privacy.”.

Shaffer was raised in Minnesota. She graduated in 2007 under her family name Wendy Wigstrom from Mahtomedi High School. Among other sports, she played ice hockey in high school. Shaffer later attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison and received a degree in chemical engineering in 2012. According to her LinkedIn profile, she had been employed with Minnesota-based agriculture and food company Cargill since 2011.

GoFundMe account “In Wendy’s Memory: Support for the Shaffer Family” has raised over $339,941 of its $380,000 goal. The funds will go to support her husband Nathan Shaffer and their two sons in the wake of the sudden and unbelievable loss of this young family’s matriarch, Wendy.

Its fundraising page said this of the mom “Wendy was the heart of her family, a loving partner to her husband, and a nurturing and joyful mother to her children. She spent her life making a home warm, loving, filled with laughter, and care. Her boys were her greatest pride and joy; she dreamed of watching them grow into the amazing people she knew they would become.”

The funds will be used to pay for the children’s funeral, childcare, and future education. Her husband Nathan Shaffer also released a heartbreaking statement where he penned “I keep waiting to wake up from this nightmare, but I’m terrified this is reality. Wendy was stunning on the outside, but more importantly, she was an unbelievable woman inside and out”. She was the best wife, mom, and friend a person could ever ask for. Her kindness, love, and strength changed everybody she will ever meet in her life. We’re going to miss you so much, Wendy Jo. I don’t think there are words to describe how much. I’ll love you forever! Rest, my love, rest.

She was coming back from a business trip and had a layover in Washington, D.C., when the crash happened. Her death has left such a huge hole in the lives of all those who knew her and loved her.

Friends, family members, and well-wishers have rallied around the bereaved husband and children as the investigation goes on. It brings in the gravest realization that indeed, life can get pretty short; and the value in every single moment spent with your loved ones has to be deeply cherished.