Dennis was born in Concordia, Cloud Co, Ks on 29 Jun 1952. He was the son of Alfred & Lereta (Hoskinson) Shaffer. Lereta & Alfred divorced & in 1955 Lereta married Harold Earl Van Vleck Sr & they moved to Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS.
Dennis always considered Harold as his Dad and rightfully so. Harold always treated Dennis & his sister, Anita, as if they were his natural children.
He graduated from Topeka High School in 1970. He met his future wife there.
After graduation he worked as the manager at "Joe DiMagio's Restaurant" in Topeka. One night he got upset at work and without telling anyone, he went to the Navy Recruiter's office and signed up to be a Corpsman. He said, "They asked me what I wanted to do in the Navy. I wasn't about to tell them I could cook. So, I asked them what they needed and they said 'Corpsmen'. I replied, you got one." This was the Vietnam era and the draft was still in force. He felt that his number was going to come up for the draft & he would have to go to the Army & they would decide what he would go into. Sure enough, about a week later his number came up, but he had already enlisted in the Navy.
Dennis married his High School Sweetheart on 7 Apr 1973 in Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS. They lived several places while Dennis was in the service. These included Mayport,FL, Jacksonville,FL, Texarkana,AR & Texarkana,TX. They had 2 sons,the first born in 1981 in TX & the second son was born 1983 in TX also.
He started his own Physical Therapy Company, "Tri-State Physical Therapy" Texarkana,TX. He also set up the Physical Therapy Department from the ground up at St Michael's Hospital in Texarkana,TX. Later he worked at the hospital in Hope,AR.
Dennis Ray Shaffer
Texarkana Funeral Home Obituary
Dennis Ray Shaffer, age 59, of Texarkana, Texas died Monday, March 26, 2012 in a local hospital from congestive heart failure. Mr. Shaffer was born June 29, 1952 in Concordia, Kansas. He was a physical therapist and a member of Williams Memorial Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Dedra Shaffer and two sons, Andrew and Aaron, all of Texarkana, Texas, one sister and brother-in-law, Anita and Pete Lickteig and nephew Terry, of Olathe, Kansas, one step brother, Harold, Jr. and wife, Barbara Van Vleck, of Springfield, Missouri and a number of other relatives. No services are planned at this time. Private cremation ceremonies will be held at a later date. Any memorials may be made to Opportunities, Inc., 6101 N. Stateline Ave., Texarkana, Texas or Boy Scouts of America, 24 Lynwood Dr., Texarkana, Texas.
Dennis always considered Harold as his Dad and rightfully so. Harold always treated Dennis & his sister, Anita, as if they were his natural children.
He graduated from Topeka High School in 1970. He met his future wife there.
After graduation he worked as the manager at "Joe DiMagio's Restaurant" in Topeka. One night he got upset at work and without telling anyone, he went to the Navy Recruiter's office and signed up to be a Corpsman. He said, "They asked me what I wanted to do in the Navy. I wasn't about to tell them I could cook. So, I asked them what they needed and they said 'Corpsmen'. I replied, you got one." This was the Vietnam era and the draft was still in force. He felt that his number was going to come up for the draft & he would have to go to the Army & they would decide what he would go into. Sure enough, about a week later his number came up, but he had already enlisted in the Navy.
Dennis married his High School Sweetheart on 7 Apr 1973 in Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS. They lived several places while Dennis was in the service. These included Mayport,FL, Jacksonville,FL, Texarkana,AR & Texarkana,TX. They had 2 sons,the first born in 1981 in TX & the second son was born 1983 in TX also.
He started his own Physical Therapy Company, "Tri-State Physical Therapy" Texarkana,TX. He also set up the Physical Therapy Department from the ground up at St Michael's Hospital in Texarkana,TX. Later he worked at the hospital in Hope,AR.
Dennis Ray Shaffer
Texarkana Funeral Home Obituary
Dennis Ray Shaffer, age 59, of Texarkana, Texas died Monday, March 26, 2012 in a local hospital from congestive heart failure. Mr. Shaffer was born June 29, 1952 in Concordia, Kansas. He was a physical therapist and a member of Williams Memorial Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Dedra Shaffer and two sons, Andrew and Aaron, all of Texarkana, Texas, one sister and brother-in-law, Anita and Pete Lickteig and nephew Terry, of Olathe, Kansas, one step brother, Harold, Jr. and wife, Barbara Van Vleck, of Springfield, Missouri and a number of other relatives. No services are planned at this time. Private cremation ceremonies will be held at a later date. Any memorials may be made to Opportunities, Inc., 6101 N. Stateline Ave., Texarkana, Texas or Boy Scouts of America, 24 Lynwood Dr., Texarkana, Texas.
Dennis was born in Concordia, Cloud Co, Ks on 29 Jun 1952. He was the son of Alfred & Lereta (Hoskinson) Shaffer. Lereta & Alfred divorced & in 1955 Lereta married Harold Earl Van Vleck Sr & they moved to Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS.
Dennis always considered Harold as his Dad and rightfully so. Harold always treated Dennis & his sister, Anita, as if they were his natural children.
He graduated from Topeka High School in 1970. He met his future wife there.
After graduation he worked as the manager at "Joe DiMagio's Restaurant" in Topeka. One night he got upset at work and without telling anyone, he went to the Navy Recruiter's office and signed up to be a Corpsman. He said, "They asked me what I wanted to do in the Navy. I wasn't about to tell them I could cook. So, I asked them what they needed and they said 'Corpsmen'. I replied, you got one." This was the Vietnam era and the draft was still in force. He felt that his number was going to come up for the draft & he would have to go to the Army & they would decide what he would go into. Sure enough, about a week later his number came up, but he had already enlisted in the Navy.
Dennis married his High School Sweetheart on 7 Apr 1973 in Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS. They lived several places while Dennis was in the service. These included Mayport,FL, Jacksonville,FL, Texarkana,AR & Texarkana,TX. They had 2 sons,the first born in 1981 in TX & the second son was born 1983 in TX also.
He started his own Physical Therapy Company, "Tri-State Physical Therapy" Texarkana,TX. He also set up the Physical Therapy Department from the ground up at St Michael's Hospital in Texarkana,TX. Later he worked at the hospital in Hope,AR.
Dennis Ray Shaffer
Texarkana Funeral Home Obituary
Dennis Ray Shaffer, age 59, of Texarkana, Texas died Monday, March 26, 2012 in a local hospital from congestive heart failure. Mr. Shaffer was born June 29, 1952 in Concordia, Kansas. He was a physical therapist and a member of Williams Memorial Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Dedra Shaffer and two sons, Andrew and Aaron, all of Texarkana, Texas, one sister and brother-in-law, Anita and Pete Lickteig and nephew Terry, of Olathe, Kansas, one step brother, Harold, Jr. and wife, Barbara Van Vleck, of Springfield, Missouri and a number of other relatives. No services are planned at this time. Private cremation ceremonies will be held at a later date. Any memorials may be made to Opportunities, Inc., 6101 N. Stateline Ave., Texarkana, Texas or Boy Scouts of America, 24 Lynwood Dr., Texarkana, Texas.
Dennis always considered Harold as his Dad and rightfully so. Harold always treated Dennis & his sister, Anita, as if they were his natural children.
He graduated from Topeka High School in 1970. He met his future wife there.
After graduation he worked as the manager at "Joe DiMagio's Restaurant" in Topeka. One night he got upset at work and without telling anyone, he went to the Navy Recruiter's office and signed up to be a Corpsman. He said, "They asked me what I wanted to do in the Navy. I wasn't about to tell them I could cook. So, I asked them what they needed and they said 'Corpsmen'. I replied, you got one." This was the Vietnam era and the draft was still in force. He felt that his number was going to come up for the draft & he would have to go to the Army & they would decide what he would go into. Sure enough, about a week later his number came up, but he had already enlisted in the Navy.
Dennis married his High School Sweetheart on 7 Apr 1973 in Topeka, Shawnee Co, KS. They lived several places while Dennis was in the service. These included Mayport,FL, Jacksonville,FL, Texarkana,AR & Texarkana,TX. They had 2 sons,the first born in 1981 in TX & the second son was born 1983 in TX also.
He started his own Physical Therapy Company, "Tri-State Physical Therapy" Texarkana,TX. He also set up the Physical Therapy Department from the ground up at St Michael's Hospital in Texarkana,TX. Later he worked at the hospital in Hope,AR.
Dennis Ray Shaffer
Texarkana Funeral Home Obituary
Dennis Ray Shaffer, age 59, of Texarkana, Texas died Monday, March 26, 2012 in a local hospital from congestive heart failure. Mr. Shaffer was born June 29, 1952 in Concordia, Kansas. He was a physical therapist and a member of Williams Memorial Methodist Church. He is survived by his wife, Dedra Shaffer and two sons, Andrew and Aaron, all of Texarkana, Texas, one sister and brother-in-law, Anita and Pete Lickteig and nephew Terry, of Olathe, Kansas, one step brother, Harold, Jr. and wife, Barbara Van Vleck, of Springfield, Missouri and a number of other relatives. No services are planned at this time. Private cremation ceremonies will be held at a later date. Any memorials may be made to Opportunities, Inc., 6101 N. Stateline Ave., Texarkana, Texas or Boy Scouts of America, 24 Lynwood Dr., Texarkana, Texas.
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