Jeffrey Wayne Schaffer

Jeff, as most of you knew him, was born in Del Norte, Colorado to Jim & Wilma Schaffer. The older sibling to his sister Danette. 

Jeff grew up in Del Norte helping his dad & Grandpa on the ranch. Where he learned to rope, ride and shoe horses. He grew up quite the ranch hand. He learned Tie Down Calf Roping and grew up following in his dad’s footsteps. He would stay with his Grandparents in Clayton, NM after they moved there when he was fourteen & worked in the feed lots during the summers. Jeff had countless memories with his sister, friends & cousins in his younger years. From picking on each other to having each other’s backs. Trips to the ER & the unforgettable memories those times had in store. 

Jeff loved going to the lake with his family. He was quite the water skier & swimmer. Jeff loved to ski whether it was in the snow or in the water, he was a downhill skier & would race on weekends when he was in high school. 

When Jeff started Team Roping, he was reminded of what his grandpa would say, “Team Roping was for calf ropers who were too old or too lazy to get off from their horse.”  Grandpa’s words were always words to live by. Jeff learned to be patient with a young horse. Training horses & showing horses became a passion for him. 

He helped his dad with the Outfitting business, setting camps, guiding hunters, and packing elk out of the mountains. 

Jeff was married to Dianna Herren in 1990 and to this union they had one daughter, Jessica. 

After having their daughter, He loved to teach her all the things he could. From riding horses to skiing. 

Jeff worked in Steamboat, CO & South Fork, CO driving a team of draft horses pulling either a sleigh or wagon for people to take rides. 

He loved snowmobiling. The higher he could climb a mountain the happier he was.

He also loved to go rafting. The crazier the water the better but a nice peaceful trip down the river was a favorite to. 

Jeff had an artistic side as well; he made balancing cowboys. One of the first things he made was a cowboy riding a horse, all made with horseshoe nails. After a lot of encouragement, he made a fireplace poker set and a coat rack. Jeff enjoyed designing crafts and building things to make jobs easier for his friends and family. He even designed & made his own forge.

He was not afraid of a challenge. He loved taking on jobs that others would not, just to see if he could do them. 

In his later years he enjoyed restoring things. He enjoyed taking his boats out to the lakes & going fishing. He loved to travel to see new places & things. If it involved a horse, an engine or gave him a sense of peace, he loved it. 

Jeff was one proud Grandpa & loved to spoil his Granddaughter Allison, when he got the chance. 

Jeff was a great teacher & loved to help people. He was a father figure to many & helped a lot of people over the years. 

He held many titles in his life, but one thing always remained the same. His ability to create, build, fix or do anything he set his mind to. He was a jack of all trades. 

Though his life was not long, it was well lived. 

Jeff is proceeded in death by his Grandparents & Parents. 

Jeff is survived by his daughter: Jessica. Son in Law: Chris. Granddaughter: Allison. Sister: Danette (Chris) Hansen. Nephew: Michael (Bre) Dickey. Niece: Andrea (Albert) Martinez. As well as other family & friends. 

Cremation was chosen and a Celebration of Life will be on Saturday, April 26, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at the Gateway Church, located on 975 Grande Ave in Del Norte, Colorado. A private family inurnment will take place at a later date.