Roy Edward Shaffer, age 90, passed away peacefully on June 5, 2026, surrounded by his loving family and friends. A dedicated veteran, loving patriarch, and long-time resident of Colorado Springs since 1984, Roy leaves behind a legacy defined by over three decades of honorable service to his country and an enduring devotion to his family.

Roy was born on November 6, 1935, in Indianapolis, Indiana, to William Albert Shaffer and Helen Dorothy (Pearson) Shaffer. He grew up alongside three siblings and was later joined by a half-sister and half-brother.

After serving an initial enlistment as a ground radio operator in Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom from 1954 to 1957, Roy returned to Indiana and took a job as a dance instructor at the Arthur Murray Dance Studio. It was there that destiny stepped in. A young woman named Annena Jeroma Perrelle walked into the studio eager to learn ballroom dancing. Roy became her partner on the dance floor, and the two quickly fell in love. They were married on November 28, 1959, in Terre Haute, Indiana.

In 1961, Roy re-enlisted in the United States Air Force, embarking on a remarkable 30-year military career. Together, Roy and Annena embraced the military lifestyle, raising five children while moving across the United States and the world.

His stateside assignments included Wurtsmith AFB (Michigan), Goodfellow AFB (Texas), Offutt AFB (Nebraska), and ultimately Peterson AFB (Colorado). His overseas deployments took the family to Yokota AB (Japan), Rhein Main AB (Germany) for two tours, Athens (Greece), and SHAPE (Belgium). Roy also served a deployment at DaNang Airfield during the Vietnam War from 1970 to 1971.

Throughout his distinguished career, Roy completed numerous advanced professional military courses, earned various accolades, and rose to the absolute peak of the enlisted ranks, retiring effective July 1, 1988, as a Chief Master Sergeant.

Following his military retirement, Roy remained in Colorado Springs. He was blessed with a large, sprawling family, becoming a grandfather to 12 grandchildren between 1987 and 2006, and later a proud great-grandfather to 9 great-grandchildren between 2010 and 2025.

Roy was preceded in death by his beloved wife, Annena; his parents; his parents-in-law, Fortunato and Maria (Caruso) Perrelle; his oldest sister, Shirley Sappingfield, and her husband Clyde; and his brother. He is remembered fondly by his surviving family, friends, and the many fellow service members whose lives he touched over his decades of leadership.