Ric William Shaffer was born May 17, 1974, to Richard LeRoy Shaffer and Sandra Potter Shaffer. He was the youngest of 4 children. Ric lived in the same house in East Garland, Utah until he got married and built his own house next door to his parents. Ric enjoyed growing up on a farm where the family raised cows, horses, and crops. When Ric was young, he spent many days and nights camping and playing “over the hill” down by the Bear River. His mom didn’t worry much because Ric had his trusty dog Rosco by his side.

Ric loved to go camping out to the desert to check on their colts, ride his horse checking cows in Promontory, and help his dad work in the shop and on the farm. Ric was in the marching band and team-roped in the rodeo club in high school.

As Ric grew older, he and his dad bought a herd of sheep that they grazed along the Bear River. Then, Ric bought a few cows that he ran with his dad and Danny and Steve Chournos. Ric and his brother Roy shared a love of collecting antique farm equipment and tractors. They spent many weekends hauling loads of “treasures” back home. When Ric was a teenager, he loved working for Brian and Brent Shaffer on their farm. Ric grew up watching his dad race horses on a chariot team. Eventually, he bought a race horse that he ran with his brother.

The Shaffers were always fixing equipment and trucks. This interest developed into a career. Ric enrolled in the Diesel Mechanic program at Bridgerland Technology College in Logan, during his senior year in high school. He graduated from Bear River High in 1992 and earned his Diesel Mechanic certificate in 1993. He then started working with his brother Roy on cement trucks and heavy construction equipment at Fife Rock Products in Brigham City. In 2005, Fife was bought out by Staker Parsons. So, Ric and Roy started carpooling to Ogden to work there. Ric worked there until he became too sick to continue.

Ric married Shamra Kelley on August 7, 1999, in the Logan Utah Temple. They were blessed with two children, Wyatt Jasper and Sierra Susan. Ric and Shamra joked that they were going for “quality, not quantity” with their children and those kids definitely proved them right. Their little family joined the Box Elder Sheriff’s Posse where they made several life-long friends at campouts, roping’s, and Posse rides in the mountains. Ric helped his kids and several neighbor kids learn horsemanship as he hosted 4H practices in his dad’s arena each summer. He also helped his kids prepare and show lambs with the 4H at the county fair each year. He could fix anything. He enjoyed playing cards, building chaps, bridles, and holsters out of leather, shooting his guns, and building or fixing sheep camps and wagons.

Ric didn’t grow up traveling much. He learned to enjoy it because Shamra did, but he would still prefer to be driving a tractor on his farm, or checking the cows in his pastures in Malad and Snowville. Ric and his family made many trips to Las Vegas to the National Finals Rodeos. They went to Disneyland, Disney World, Yellowstone, Jackson Hole, Capitol Reef, San Rafael Swell, Mexican cruises, Hawaii, a 16-day tour around Europe and the Danube River, and two trips to the St. Lucia and Barbados islands in the Caribbean. He enjoyed camping at the family’s property in Lava, Idaho. He also loved to go with friends on side-by-side adventures and gold mining expeditions.

Ric was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served as a scout leader, home teacher, and ward clerk. He was a good husband, father, and friend.

He is preceded in death by his parents, his grandparents, and his brother-in-law Everett Reynolds. Ric is survived by his wife and children; daughter-in-law Rachel Johnson Shaffer; siblings Roy Shaffer, Shannon Norman, and Shelley Reynolds; brothers-in-law Garth, Brian, and Clay Kelley and Ron Norman; sisters-in-law Collette, Noelle, and Cassie Kelley and Patti Shaffer; and many wonderful nephews and nieces.

Ric was diagnosed with colon cancer in October of 2024. He suffered through many rounds of chemo and radiation until he developed complications which were inoperable. Ric passed away at home. Just like the Apostle Paul, Ric could say, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” He will be missed by many, but we will see him again in a better place where he will finally be pain free.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 26, 2026, at 11 A.M. with a viewing held prior from 9-10:45 A.M. All services will be held at the Fielding Stake Center (4375 W 15600 N Garland). Interment will follow the services in the East Garland Cemetery. The service will be livestreamed and can be accessed below.