\t\t\tMichael T. Shaffer \t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\tOBITUARY\t\t<\/p>\n
Michael T. Shaffer, 58, of Bethlehem, passed away on January 17, 2026. He was the loving husband of 35 years to Kathleen O\u2019Malley and the dedicated father of Christopher, Ethan, and Matthew.<\/p>\n
\nBorn in Denville, NJ, he was the son of Katherine (Keim) Shaffer and the late Gilbert Shaffer. The youngest of five children (sister Cathy; brothers Steve, Greg, and Tim), Michael maintained a strong bond with his siblings throughout his life. He cherished their annual beach week at Long Beach Island that brought together his parents, siblings, and eventually, their spouses, children, nieces, and nephews year after year. In a very large and ever-growing family filled with big personalities, Michael\u2019s joyous presence always stood out.<\/p>\n
\nMichael moved to Bethlehem to attend Moravian University where he became an integral part of the campus community, well known and beloved by students and faculty alike. There, he made many lifelong friends, including the love of his life, Kathleen O\u2019Malley. Michael and Kathy brought out the best in each other. They were inseparable and complemented each others\u2019 personalities in every way. Michael and Kathy were a perfect fit. The two were joyfully married at the campus chapel and settled in their college town to start their family and careers. Michael continued on to earn his Master\u2019s Degree from Kutztown, all while working and raising his young children.<\/p>\n
\nAs Michael\u2019s boys grew, he was proud to support them in pursuing their interests while also introducing them to his own. Michael was an avid comic book collector and shared that passion with his children by introducing them to the characters, themes, and ideals that drew him in as a child. In exchange, he developed a passion for their interests as well. He took great joy in attending all of their events from the time they were young. Even in recent years, he always prioritized his sons\u2019 soccer games and musical performances. Together, the family developed a shared love for cheering on Premier League and MLS soccer teams, listening to music, and watching TV and movies.<\/p>\n
\nMichael also had a special place in his heart for his beloved dog, Jenny. And to Jenny, Michael was her person. She eagerly watched the door every day for him to get home. They spent their time together playing in the back yard and just enjoying each other\u2019s company. On their daily walks, Michael was widely recognized in the neighborhood, always offering a welcoming hello and ready to listen and share with everyone around him. He made lifelong friends with many neighbors. Michael loved his community and shared it with others by hosting friends and family for events like Christkindlmarkt, the Parade of Shamrocks, and Musikfest.<\/p>\n
\nMichael\u2019s love for family and community extended far beyond his own. He dedicated his entire professional career to Pinebrook Family Answers, a nonprofit family services organization. Beginning in 1989 as a caseworker, Michael ultimately rose to serve as Chief Executive Officer. Over more than three decades, he became a steady, compassionate presence whose influence shaped the organization as deeply as his kindness touched the people within it. He will be long remembered for his ever\u2011present smile, his caring nature, the cheerful whistle that echoed through Pinebrook\u2019s hallways, and even his endearing love of a bright parking vest\u2014small but cherished reflections of his joyful spirit. Guided by a profound commitment to meeting families where they are, Michael strengthened Pinebrook\u2019s mission and impact on countless children and families.<\/p>\n
\nHis dedication extended even further through his service with the Pool Fellowship for Health, the Pennsylvania Council of Children and Youth and Family Services, and the Project Child Advisory Committee of the Child Abuse Prevention Coalition of the Lehigh Valley, leaving a legacy of leadership, generosity, and heart.<\/p>\n
\nMichael brought joy and happiness everywhere he went. He was well known for his big smile and infectious laugh. He will be deeply missed by many.<\/p>\n
\nMichael is survived by his wife Kathy; mother Kay; sons Chris (Liz), Ethan (Annika), and Matt (Cait); siblings Cathy (Dave), Steve (Michele), Greg (Eleanor), and Tim (Jaqueline); and beloved dog Jenny. He also leaves a large family of in-laws, nieces, and nephews.<\/p>\n
\nServices: On Friday, January 30th, a Calling Time will be held at Downing Funeral Home from 5:00-7:00PM. On Saturday, January 31st, a Calling Time will be held at Rosemont Lutheran Church from 9:00-10:00AM with a funeral service to follow.<\/p>\n
\nIn lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to The Michael Shaffer Memorial Fund at Pinebrook Family Answers (www.pbfalv.org).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Michael T. Shaffer OBITUARY Michael T. Shaffer, 58, of Bethlehem, passed away on January 17, 2026. He was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":95706,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[153,155,154],"class_list":{"0":"post-95705","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-bethlehem","8":"tag-bethlehem","9":"tag-bethlehem-headlines","10":"tag-bethlehem-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=95705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/95705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/95706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=95705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=95705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=95705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}