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Jacob Campbell Shafer
August 22, 1982 – May 27, 2023

Nearly one year ago, without a whisper, Jacob Shafer exited stage right…

Black shimmering wings spread to the sun. Radiant beauty on display. The turkey vulture’s back turned towards us perfectly in line with our familiar view of a towering old growth redwood. Its narrow straight dead top, void of branches, inspired Jacob’s grandfather to name the tree, “The Sword Tree.” He and Jacob told each other many stories about that tree. When the vulture tucked its wings, it hopped on its perch, a short wooden fence, and flew into the forest, disappearing from sight, straight in the direction of the base of The Sword Tree. This occurred two days after Jacob Campbell Shafer passed, a loss felt deeply by his family, friends, and community.

Jacob was born August 22, 1982, in Whitethorn. When he was in the primary grades at Whitethorn School he regularly would sit at the kitchen counter, with a snack, and draw pictures to illustrate a story from his imagination as a way to decompress after a day at school. When his “book” was completed, Jacob would add a short paragraph at the end of the story entitled, “About the Author.” It usually began, “Jacob Shafer was born in the guest room in Whitethorn, California.”

His skills as a writer developed with guidance from his teachers throughout his years in Southern Humboldt. Jacob was also a talented actor, playwright, director, radio talkshow host, newspaper columnist, freelance writer, and editor. He worked for The Pacific Sun, Maui Times, The Independent, and Bleacher Report. According to Beau Ewen, writing teacher, surfer, and author, “As the editor for Maui Time, Jacob fearlessly pursued stories that mattered to the community, shedding light on important local issues and events. Through his captivating articles and insightful reporting, Jacob diligently captured the essence of Maui’s diverse communities, events and local stories. His dedication to highlighting the island’s cultural richness and environmental concerns made him a cherished voice among residents and visitors alike. His words will continue to inspire and remind us of the Aloha spirit that he so passionately shared with the world. Jacob was a brilliant editor and I learned so much from his edits of my writing.” Peter Weismann shared, “I have always admired Jacob’s intellect, wonderful sense of humor, great writing skills, political and cultural perspectives, and his love for baseball.”

His love of baseball extended beyond his writing. Jacob played baseball in his youth, fully embracing his position as catcher on the “Pirates” Little League team, coaching Little League teams, and serving as president of the Southern Humboldt Little League. Jacob was joyful when he landed the job with Bleacher Report and was able to write about the game he loved and “get paid for it!”

He also worked as a teaching assistant for Southern Humboldt Unified School District. The students loved Jacob and he cared for each and every one of them.

Jacob self published a book, Jacob’s Jottings, Volume 1, and was close to completing Volume 2 when his life ended tragically on May 27, 2023, in Mill Valley, California.

Jacob’s two older sisters adored their brother from the time he was born and have many fond memories from a happy childhood full of creative play together. Dramatic role playing in “plays” directed by Erica and Ramona were the beginning of Jacob’s acting career. He performed in high school plays at South Fork and received the “Best Actor” award three times.

Jacob’s family feels deeply the loving sympathy and support from our precious extended family, friends and amazing community. The love really matters and we all are so grateful.

Jacob’s family is gathering at our home in Whitethorn in an intimate ceremony to honor and cerebrate Jacob’s life. Jacob is survived by his loving parents, Eric and Victoria Shafer, his adoring sisters, Erica (Joe) Mendes and Ramona (Paul) Young, and (in Jacob’s own words, quoted from the “Acknowledgements” section of his unpublished Volume 2), “my writing, like my life, would be incomplete without my sons, Jasper and Benjamin, I love them more than words could ever express.”

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