Gayle Rae Shafer

Gayle Rae (Grogg) Shafer, 61, of Canton, MI, met her Saviour as she passed away peacefully at Saint Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor on December 5, 2014. Services at Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street, Plymouth, MI, on Tuesday, December 16, with visitation from 4 pm – 7 pm and Memorial Service 7 pm – 8 pm. Born May 6, 1953 in LaGrange, Indiana, as the first child to the late Otto Ray and Janet Grate Grogg, she went on to follow in her father’s footsteps with a thirty-two year career with General Motors Corporation. She showed her aptitude, her passion for learning, and her disciplined work ethic at an early age. As a teenager and young adult, Gayle worked at Kresge’s, First National Bank of Plymouth and National City Bank in downtown Plymouth, and she also showed her compassion for others by working at a nursing home that is now Heartland on Haggerty Avenue. She was in the first year graduating class in 1971 from what was then the new Plymouth High School, where she graduated high in her class. She met her husband-to-be, Kenneth L. Shafer, in 1972 when they were both attending Indiana University in Bloomington, IN. They then separated for twenty-five years, but were reunited in 1998, becoming engaged and then married on May 8, 1999 in her parents’ church, Trinity English Lutheran, in Fort Wayne, IN, the first marriage for both. Gayle’s commitment to education was a life long endeavor. After graduating from Indiana University in 1975 with a double major in Telecommunications and English, she would later obtain a Master of Business Administration from the University of Memphis in 1981, and a Master of Science in Accounting and Information Systems from Middle Tennessee State University in 2001. Being relocated back to the Detroit area in 2001, she chose her residence in Canton, very close to her childhood home in Plymouth. She then took Continuing Education classes at Schoolcraft College, Livonia, MI for several more years. Working a brief time for the City of Bloomington after graduating from Indiana University in 1975, Gayle started her career at General Motors, a career that spanned many responsibilities at many locations. She served the Cadillac Motor Division from 1977 - 1981 in the capacity of Merchandising Specialist and Sales Analyst in the Memphis and Detroit regions, and then as a District Sales and Service Manager for the Pontiac Motor Division from 1981-1986 in the Springfield, IL and Memphis regions. She then joined General Motors’ Saturn Corporation from its inception in 1986, where she remained until her retirement in late 2008. She performed her duties as Market Survey Analyst from Troy, MI from 1986-1989, Area Operations Team Leader in Sacramento, CA from 1989-1993, and Retail Support Team Leader and Vehicle Administration Coordinator from 1993-2001 in Spring Hill, TN. After relocation to Detroit in 2001, Gayle performed as Saturn Service Plan Coordinator and Warranty Claims Analyst, and Sales and Business Management Analyst until she completed her thirty-two years of service in 2008. During her time in Spring Hill, Gayle worked part-time at Mrs. T’s Donut Shop, in Franklin TN, where she was able to demonstrate her love of baking, and where she met some of Nashville’s country music stars. After retirement, Gayle was a volunteer guide for several years at the Plymouth Historical Museum on Main Street, and also served as volunteer Secretary and Board Member for the Fox Run Homeowners Association. Gayle loved baking, gingerbread men, Poppin’ Fresh (the Pillsbury Doughboy), dogs, reading mystery novels, traveling, teddy bears and stuffed animals, shoes, a well appointed house, flowers, and all sorts of dainty little things. She was preceded in death by her father, Otto Ray Grogg in 1999. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth L. Shafer, of Canton, MI and Bloomington, IN, her mother Janet Grate Grogg of Fort Wayne, IN, her brother Ronald and wife Stephanie of New Brighton, MN, and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. While in Canton, Gayle and Kenneth attended the Saint Michaels Lutheran Church. Gayle was also a member of Alpha Phi social sorority, and business honorary Beta Gamma Sigma. Her smile, and her laugh, which resembled the sound of little bells ringing on a crisp wintry day, will be missed by all. Services will be at Schrader-Howell Funeral Home, 280 South Main Street in Plymouth, MI, on Tuesday, December 16, with visitation from 4 pm – 7 pm and a memorial service from 7 pm – 8pm. She will be laid to rest beside her father at Greenwood Cemetery in LaGrange, IN. Contributions in Gayle’s Memory may be made to the Plymouth Historical Museum at 155 South Main Street, Plymouth, MI 48170, or to the animal rescue organization of your choosing.