- Date Of Birth: September 15, 1951
- Date Of Death: July 9, 2021
- State: Colorado
Thomas Schaffnit was born in Dallas, TX on Sept. 15, 1951. One of six children, (four boys and two girls), Tom was the second born, and from the very beginning he believed in the importance of family, having the love from grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins at an early age.
When his family moved to Colorado for work, Tom would attend St. Mary’s Academy and Arapahoe High school. Soon after high school, Tom attended Arapahoe Community College where he received his nursing degree and would spend much of his career helping others; most of his years as a nurse were spend caring for children and adolescents in psychiatric facilities.
In 1979, he met Jack, whom he would later marry. Jack and Tom spent their years together in Denver, in the mountains around Bailey, and islands of Hawaii. Over the course of it all, Tom would always be one who made time for family, and would, without hesitation, assume the role of caregiver for parents and siblings.
He is preceded in death by his brothers Mark and Michael, his sister-in-law, Suzanne, his parents Mary Helen and Paul Robert, and his father-in-law, Robert Dow.
He is remembered by his loving husband, Jack, his sisters, Jean Oatman and Ruth Schaffnit, his brother, Paul David Schaffnit and his wife, Heidi, his mother-in-law, Edna Dow, his brother-in-law, Stephen Dow and his wife, Geri; his nephews, Paul Michael, Katie, Jameson, Michael, Chris, Andrea, Vanessa, Kathleen, Nathan, and his grandnieces and nephews, Andrew, Adam, Alexander, Jadlyn, Amaya, James, and Jeremy.
Colorado Coalition for the Homeless
Food Bank of the Rockies