Butch was fifty-five when he enrolled in outpatient hospice services with terminal cancer. He recounted, âIt sneaked up on me and bit me on the rear end. They told me there wasnât any cure for me, so Iâll just live it out this way. It gets worse every day but Iâm still out hustling. Iâm helping someone build a horse barn down the road. But Iâll pay for it at the end of the day. Iâll be hurting pretty bad.â Butchâs wife Carmen stated, âI told him he needs to slow downâ, Butch explained, âI know the day is coming when Iâll be stuck in this house. So Iâm going to get out of here as much as possible for now.â Carmen shared, âBut he gets depressed sometimes.â Butch looked up at me and admitted, âYeah, I get pretty depressed dad.â I replied, âIt would be an insult for me to try to say something to make you feel better. I think youâre supposed to feel the way you do. When Iâve been
Surrounded by his family, Clair Marvin âButchâ Shaffer, passed away peacefully at Good Samaritan Village in Moscow on March 2, 2021.
Butch was born March 13, 1935, in Sandpoint to Jesse and Catherine Shaffer. The youngest of 12 children, he was given the nickname Butch as a young boy by his older siblings. The nickname suited him and stayed with him the remainder of his life.
He attended Sandpoint public schools and graduated from high school in 1953. He was Student Body President his senior year of high school. He played football for the Sandpoint Bulldogs and attended the University of Idaho on a football scholarship. He had the distinct honor of playing football with future Hall of Famer Jerry Kramer.
By Jim Polito
Mar 9, 2021
I am fortunate that I have this platform and I never want to use it for self-indulgence. If I share something with you here, it is because I believe there is a value to it for us all. That s why I am introducing you to my dearly departed friend Roger Lavallee. He passed away unexpectedly last week following a relatively routine surgery. Kathy and I are not alone in being devastated by the loss of Roger. His family and friends are joined in their mourning by people all over the world. Allow me to explain how a small-town kid nicknamed Butch grew to be a man that governments around the world would call on for help.