One of the 67 people killed in Wednesday night’s deadly air collision in Washington, D.C., grew up in Mahtomedi, according to online posts by family members.
Wendy Jo Shaffer, of Charlotte, N.C., was on board American Airlines Flight 5342 when it collided with a military Blackhawk helicopter on its approach to Ronald Reagan National Airport, sending the two aircraft plummeting into the Potomac River and killing everyone on board, a verified GoFundMe page states.
“She was a radiant soul, a devoted wife to Nathan, and an incredible mother to her two beautiful boys ages 3 and 1,” friends wrote in the GoFundMe post. “Her love, kindness, and unwavering spirit touched everyone who knew her, and her absence leaves a void that can never be filled.”
On Thursday, a family friend and FOX News correspondent Bill Melugin posted a statement from Nathan Shaffer on X.
“I’m still waiting to wake up from this nightmare, but I fear this is the truth,” Nathan Shaffer wrote to Melugin. “Wendy was not just beautiful on the outside, but was a truly amazing woman through and through. She was the best wife, mother, and friend that anyone could ever hope for. Her love, kindness, and strength touched everyone she met. We will miss you more than words can express, Wendy Jo. I love you endlessly! Rest in peace, my love.”
Shaffer, whose maiden name was Wigstrom, graduated in 2007 from Mahtomedi High School, where she played varsity hockey, soccer and lacrosse, said Britni Roth, a longtime friend who graduated from Mahtomedi with Shaffer. Shaffer graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012 with a degree in chemical engineering and worked for Cargill, Roth said.
Roth said her friend was “genuinely wonderful.”
“Wendy was, simply put, one of the most truly beautiful people,” Roth said. “She excelled at everything she did. She was smart, funny, kind, athletic and full of life. She brought joy into every room and left an imprint on everyone’s heart. She was one of a kind.”
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Money raised in the GoFundMe fundraiser (gofund.me/642b6015) “will provide essential support for funeral expenses, childcare, education, and the day-to-day needs of the family as they adjust to life without their beloved wife and mother,” the post states. “Every contribution, no matter the size, will make a meaningful difference and show this family that they are not alone in their grief.”
As of Friday morning, the fundraiser had raised more than $240,000.
“Wendy was the heart of her family — a loving partner to her husband and a nurturing, joyful mother to her children,” the post states. “She dedicated her life to creating a warm, loving home filled with laughter and care. Her boys were her greatest pride and joy, and she dreamed of watching them grow into the amazing individuals she knew they would become.”
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