Don Ellis Schafer was born June 30, 1948, in Phillip, SD, to Glen Schafer and Velma (Culver) Schafer. Don grew up in Phillip and graduated high school in Phillip, SD, where he married his high school sweetheart, Roxanne Radway.

They moved to Washington State where he worked as several different aircraft production positions, until being drafted into the U.S Army in July 1969. He was first sent to Germany, and then he went straight to Vietnam where he served for 7 months as an air craft engine mechanic. He then decided to join the SD Army National Guard where he worked part time in 1971 when he also worked for mobile home manufacturing. He was offered a full time position in 1972 with the SD National Guard at the Army Aviation Support Facility as an aircraft mechanic. He loved being in the guard, and being a mechanic. In 1997, he retired after 28 years of dedicated military service.

Don's hobbies included country western dancing, which he taught as well. He also loved to hunt and fish. He loved meeting with good friends for coffee in the morning. He really enjoyed wood working, welding, working on cars, and machinery work. He also enjoyed teaching his family members everything that he loved to do. He loved to work with his hands and often wanted to teach his grandkids and his own kids his knowledge of wood working and mechanics.

You could always find Don busy and hard at work on projects or helping friends/family out on just about everything. He was a very well respected man/father and grandfather and was loved by all that knew him. He was generous, kind and very caring, but most importantly very outgoing and personable. Don did a lot of volunteer work building wheel chair ramps for Metropolitan Lions Club of Rapid City, SD. He was a snow bird to Yuma, AZ, for many years and would leave SD in October and would return to SD in April where you could find him keeping busy and helping friends and family as always.

Donald, 67, Rapid City, passed away peacefully surrounded by family and friends on March 8, 2016

Don is survived by his sister, Barbara Hocking of Rapid City, SD; his brother, Richard Schafer of Minneapolis, MN; son, Michael Schafer and wife, Jennifer, of Gardner, KS; daughter, Melanie Schafer of Rapid City, SD; and granddaughters, MysHa Schafer of Rapid City, SD, and Savannah Schafer of Gardner, KS.

Don was preceded in death by his much loved parents and sister, Nancy England.

He will truly be missed but always in our hearts.

Services will be at 10:30 a.m. on Friday March 11, 2016, at Our Saviors Lutheran Church in Hermosa, SD, with Pastor Deb Grismer officiating. Following the service, a reception will be held at the church. Then the interment will follow at Black Hills National Cemetery, Sturgis.

In lieu of flowers, the family is accepting donations to the Metropolitan Lions Club of Rapid City, SD.

Click on link to view service folder