Edward Earl Shafer

Edward E. Shafer, born December 1, 1943, in Cairo, Illinois to Issac E. and Mary Minton Shafer, passed away March 17, 2026.

Ed graduated from Thebes High School in 1961. That same summer, he completed a program at University of Illinois in Champaign as an Engineer Technician and went to work for the Illinois Department of Transportation. He attended Southern Illinois University and graduated in 1968 with a Civil Engineer Degree and continued working for IDOT, District 9 out of Carbondale until retiring. He served in the US Army from 1969 until 1971.

His friend, Jim Lambert, introduced Ed to his cousin Sharon Lambert in 1964 on a blind date. Ed and Sharon were married in 1968.

Ed enjoyed photography, reading, collecting coins and traveling. After retiring, he drove every mile to Alaska with Sharon, as his co-pilot, in his Dodge Ram truck with a slide-in camper. As you would expect from Ed, a second spare tire was taken along inside the camper, and he lifted it in and out of the camper several times a day for access.

He was preceded in death by his parents, 6 uncles and 1 aunt. His survivors are his wife; his son Jason and wife Marie, and his granddaughter Eileen; his daughter Paula and Alan Hoffmeister; his sister Elizabeth McCoy (Lyle), and niece Kathi Goshe; and his aunt Ruth Rosenthal and uncle James Minton (Shirley).

Funeral arrangements are pending.