Man, 73, dies in tractor accident.   Arthur V. Shaffer apparently lost control of the vehicle down the side of a hill. 

NEW BETHLEHEM -- A New Bethlehem man died in a tractor accident at his  home in Porter Township, Clarion County, Tuesday evening. Arthur V. Shaffer, 73, of 4373 Route 66, New Bethlehem, was riding an 18-horse power tractor through a grassy road in some woods on his  property to pick berries, reportedly before dark.   Shaffer somehow lost control of the tractor down the side of the hill,  and it landed on top of his chest, according to Clarion County Deputy Coroner Bradley A. Bullers.  Bullers said the death was ruled accidental.  Clarion County Coroner Roland Burns reportedly ruled Shaffer's cause of death to be due to a crushed chest with internal injuries.  Burns was unavailable for comment Wednesday evening.   State police at Clarion were called to the scene, but no information was released as of Wednesday.   Shaffer was pronounced dead at the scene, Bullers said.  Bullers said the tractor was a 'bigger' Simplicity tractor.  He was discovered under the tractor by his wife, who searched for him  about 10 p.m. Tuesday after he had not returned.  An obituary is listed in today's paper.

The obituary:

Arthur V. Shaffer, 73, of 4375 Route 66, New Bethlehem, Porter  Township, Clarion County, died Tuesday, July 31, 2001, at his home.  Born December 19, 1927, in Armstrong County, he was the son of Paul E. and Helen English Shaffer.

Mr. Shaffer earlier worked for Paul E. Shaffer Gas Co. and later worked 20 years for Clarion University before his retirement.

He was a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Shannondale and was a life member of Shannondale Grange No. 1865.

Mr. Shaffer enjoyed hunting and fishing.

He was married October 11, 1947, to Margaret L. Smith, who survives. Also surviving area sister, Mrs. Garth (Shirley) Haws of Red Bluff, CA; and two brothers and their wives, Mr. and Mrs. Clifton Dale Shaffer of Mobile, AL and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Shaffer, Jr. of Reading CA; and a number of nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Friday in Zion Lutheran  Church, Shannondale, with the Rev. Harold O. Jacobsen officiating.

The Charles D. Alcorn Funeral Home in Hawthorn is in charge of  arrangements.

My thoughts:

A newspaper article and obituary give you so many facts, but no real sense of the man. Art was one of the kindest and most caring men I ever had the fortune to know. He watched over me and protected me -- and many others -- while he was at Clarion State College. It's true that he was  "only" a maintenance man, but I learned more about life, about dealing with people, about responsibility from him than I ever learned in any class. I may have had an education from the college by day, but I had a nightly education in the "School of Art". Art taught me that it takes more than a college education to be a wise and learned man.

I still remember the impish smile he had. The great bear hugs he would give me when he saw me again after an extended time apart. His patience and generosity. The way he would shake his head at me whenever he had to extricate me from my latest mess with the music or theatre department. The way he inspired all of us to work long hours and to do the absolute best job we could. The way he taught me to take great pride in my work and to never accept a second-rate job.

My personal issues have kept me from staying in contact with Art for a couple of years now. I had hoped to rectify that this coming Christmas by spending a day or two with him. Now, I've lost that chance forever. I would have liked one more opportunity to tell him what knowing him has meant to me. To tell him that I am a better man because of the examples  he set so long ago. To thank him for taking a scared kid from the suburbs and giving him confidence and pride in himself. To tell him that  I love him.

The obituary was wrong. Arthur V. Shaffer is also survived by me and a score of other students for whom he was a surrogate father and a wonderful friend. The world is a colder place now. My only hope is that I can pay back Art's countless kindnesses by helping someone else along the way.