Alyce Burn Sheaffer
Alyce Burn Sheaffer, 74, of Harrisonburg, Va., passed away Friday at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community after a 42-year battle with multiple sclerosis.
She was born Feb. 7, 1942, in New Castle, Pa., and was the daughter of the late Dr. John and Katherine Kelso Burn.
Alyce was a 1960 graduate and co-valedictorian of Butler High School and a 1964 graduate of Hood College in Frederick, Md.
She taught home economics in Pittsburgh and St. Louis high schools and later became an assistant to the director of admissions at Hood College.
Alyce started an MS support group out of her home in Reston, Va., and was also a member of the National MS Society.
She relocated to Harrisonburg in 2007 and became a member of First Presbyterian Church. At the age of 22, she became an avid volunteer for various organizations throughout each community she resided.
Her first husband, U.S. Army Capt. Joseph C. Doyle, was killed in action during his military deployment to Vietnam in 1968.
She is survived by her husband, retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Frederick Sheaffer of Tucson, Ariz.; one daughter, Marcella O'Brien and her husband, Chris, of Harrisonburg, Va.; one son, John Sheaffer and his wife, Teri, of San Jose, Calif.; and five grandchildren, Sean, Jack, Max, Malia and Kiley.
In addition to her first husband, Capt. Doyle, she is preceded in death by her sister, Mary E. Burn.
SHEAFFER — A memorial service for Alyce Burn Sheaffer, who died Friday, April 29, 2016, will be at 10 a.m. Monday at Strite Auditorium in Crestwood at Virginia Mennonite Retirement Community with the Rev. Steve Landis officiating. A private inurnment will be later at North Cemetery in Butler.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the National MS Society, P.O. Box 4527, New York, NY, 10163 or VMRC Nursing Care, 1501 Virginia Ave. Harrisonburg, VA 22802.The Lindsey Funeral Home and Crematory, Harrisonburg, Va., is assisting with the arrangements.Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lindseyharrisonburg.com.
