April 18, 1951 - January 26, 2021
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William Carson Shafer (aka Bill, Billy Carson, or moon dog) passed away Tuesday, January 26, 2021 at the age of 69 in Smithwick, Texas.
He was born on April 18, 1951 in Austin to Alta Jackson Shafer and Norman “Red” Shafer and was the middle of three brothers.
He graduated from Marble Falls High School in 1969 and worked at Winn’s five & dime store in Marble Falls during high school; this is where he became a master gift wrapper. He moved to Austin in 1969 and worked at the State Board of Insurance for many years as a print press operator and supervisor. Around 1974, he began umpiring for little league and eventually transitioned to adult baseball and softball leagues.
In the early 1980s he became a professional skeet puller referee and refereed several state and national shoots, as well as local shoots.
He was a Master Mason with the Hill City Masonic Lodge #456 in Austin. He started his own print press business in the late 1980s until he retired in 2017 to move to Smithwick, Texas.
Bill first and foremost loved his family, friends, and dogs wholeheartedly and was very proud of his family heritage and traditions. He was a keeper of symbolic family heirlooms, which he proudly framed and displayed, and loved to share stories about them.
He was an amazing father and papa and he could not wait for his granddaughters to get old enough to take hunting. Bill enjoyed hunting his whole life, but in the last years had become more of a deer watcher than a deer hunter.
He was the most generous and kind-hearted man you would ever meet; he would give you the shirt off of his back and the last dollar in his pocket. If you were a friend of Bill’s, you were family in his heart.
He was a very gifted storyteller and jokester and you were guaranteed to be laughing when in his presence. He also enjoyed water skiing, jet-skiing, country western dancing, and old country music.
He is survived by his wife, Caleen Shafer (married June 11, 1988); his daughter, Misti Shafer-Webb and husband Stacy; son, Cody Shafer, wife Alyssa, and three beautiful granddaughters, Bailey, Dakota, and Ellie Jane; brother, Mike Shafer and wife Joanie; brother, Norman Shafer and wife Debbie; numerous aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, and many friends.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Alta Jackson Shafer and Norman “Red” Shafer, and his first son, Joseph Shane Shafer.
Visitation is from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. January 31, 2021 at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, Marble Falls. Graveside service is at 2 p.m. February 1, 2021 at Smithwick Cemetery.
Online condolences may be made at clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com.