James R. "Jim" Schafer died November 30, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Ralph and Lillian (Durant) Schafer; wife, Janet (Eilerman); brother, Father Jerry; brother, Thomas.

He is survived by his brother John and his wife, Jacqueline; sister Rosalie and her husband, Paul Vlahutin; brother Ed and his wife, Lesta; sister-in-law, Joni Snyder; sister-in-law, Frances (Dornette) Schafer; sister-in-law, Sue (Eilerman) Auer; sister-in-law Janet (McDonald) Eilerman; his children Marianne (Brock) Eshleman, Jim (Dina) Schafer, Donna Schafer, Joe (Jaime) Schafer, Ken (JoAnn) Schafer, Julie (Dan) Schroeder, Amy (James) O'Keefe, Chris (Kristy) Schafer, 22 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Jim was born on May 22, 1937 in New Castle, Indiana. He graduated from St. Gerard High School in Lima, Ohio in 1955.

At St. Gerard, in addition to serving as class president, Jim played both baseball and basketball. His height, competitiveness and athleticism served him exceptionally well in basketball. As a dominant force on the floor, he averaged 19 points per game during his senior year. Most importantly, though, his time at St. Gerard provided the opportunity for him to notice a sophomore cheerleader named Janet that he would often wave to in between classes.

Jim attended Bowling Green State University where he played basketball and studied business with an emphasis in production and personnel management. Whenever possible, Jim would return to Lima on weekends to spend time with Janet. Ever resourceful, he even resorted to hitchhiking when he could not find a ride to or from college with someone he knew.

Shortly after graduation in 1960, Jim and Janet were married. Their wedding day marked the beginning of life-long dedication to each other and their children. Over the years they provided love, support, direction and encouragement to their entire family. Even when faced with great family duress, like when a couple of their sons somehow wrecked two cars in the driveway at the same time, they always demonstrated boundless patience.

Jim's first job out of college was serving as a line supervisor for the Ford Motor Company. He spent almost the entirety of his career with Ford, quickly working his way up through the ranks with stops at Ford World Headquarters, The River Rouge Plant, and both the Sharonville and Batavia Transmission Plants. His career culminated in 1992 with his promotion to Plant Manager of Sharonville, a position he held until he retired in 1997.

His career with Ford was deeply meaningful to Jim. The manufacturing environment presented so many opportunities for him to demonstrate his dynamic personality and relentless work ethic. He understood when to draw the hard line and when to compromise. He possessed the charisma and leadership skills to work effectively with everyone from ground level workers to senior executives. Jim was a lifelong curious learner and was always open to new ideas on how the team could work smarter and more efficiently. He coupled all this with a street-smart savviness which proved useful in negotiations with union representatives and suppliers. When relating stories and lessons to friends and family, he always began with the familiar, "When I was at Ford….."

In his retirement, Jim loved spending time at the family lake house at Lake Lorelei. He and Janet transformed that house into a foundational piece of the Schafer family, a place that created countless memories and served as the source for many projects which he enjoyed tackling. He was a consistent fixture at his grandchildren's athletic events and activities, and following each event, he was always quick with congratulations and a tip or two on how to do it better next time.

Under his picture in his high school yearbook, the words read "always has a smile", a characteristic all who met him remember. Jim loved card games and traveling with Janet. He also made the best ice cream. His family adored him beyond measure.

Services will be held on December 10, 2022 at Good Shepherd Catholic Church. Visitors will be received at 9:00 a.m., followed by a Mass of Christain Burial at 10:00 a.m..

Memorial contributions may be made to Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, www.misacor-usa.org

or American Diabetes Association.