Shirley Lorraine Shepark Schafer celebrated her 99th Birthday with family on August 31, 2026. She passed away in her Palo Alto home of 70 years under hospice care. She has battled with inoperable skin cancer for the past two years. 

Shirley was born in Kenosha Wisconsin to Frank & Emma Shepark. She was their only child. Her family moved to Los Angeles in 1939 when she was twelve. She lost her mom in a tragic home cleaning fluid fire at the age of 18. She married Lloyd Joseph Schafer on February 8, 1948. They had three sons. Mark Steven - 1949, Paul Thomas - 1951 and Roger Lloyd - 1955. They moved to Palo Alto in 1956 shortly after the loss of her father Frank. Shirley worked as a Librarian for Foothill College in the 60’s and 70’s. Shirley lost her son Mark to VHL disease in 1990. In the late 1980’s and 1990’s she nursed Lloyd who suffered with ALS. Lloyd passed at the age of 75 in 1999. 

Shirley loved to bowl, play bridge, read, bird watch and play scrabble. She traveled extensively with her children and grandchildren until she physically couldn’t anymore. Her care giver and close friend Talei was by Shirley’s side for the last five years, and there for her during Shirley’s last moments. Shirley is survived by her two sons, six grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.

Services will be held Monday October 5th , 10am at Saint Nicholas Catholic Church, 473 Lincoln Ave, Los Altos California followed by the burial at the family grave site at 12noon Alta Mesa Cemetery, 695 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA.