Lou Ann Shafer, 63, of State College, went home to be with her Savior on Friday, July 12, 2024, after a short illness. She is survived by her husband of 40 years, Timothy Paul Shafer, her daughters Sarah Louise Shafer, Elisabeth Lea Shafer, and Grace Marie Salyards and husband Jared; and her two granddaughters, Lilly Anne Salyards, and Alice Kimberly Salyards.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Andrew John “Whitey” Zahransky and Mary Elizabeth Zahransky.
Lou Ann was born on October 18, 1960 in Burgettstown, PA, the only child of Whitey and Mary Zahransky. A gifted scholar, she excelled in school and was valedictorian of her class at Burgettstown High School. In 1978 she attended Oberlin Conservatory where she met her husband, Tim; they were married in 1983 at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Burgettstown. Lou Ann and Tim began their married life in Bloomington, IN, and then moved to State College, PA in 1986 where their three daughters Sarah, Elisabeth, and Grace, were born and raised. Lou Ann was a loving and dedicated daughter, tirelessly caring for her parents into their last years. She was utterly devoted to her family as a wife, mother, and more recently, as a grandmother to Lilly and Alice.
Lou Ann earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education at Oberlin. She taught piano, voice and guitar at St. Charles Catholic School in Bloomington, IN from 1983-1986. When she and Tim moved to State College, she became the Director of Music at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, where she continued from 1987-2004. Lou Ann worked for seventeen years at Penn State University as Instructor of Music Education. She also taught music and served as choir director in the State College Area School District, at various times for Ferguson Township Elementary, Corl Street Elementary, Gray’s Woods Elementary, and State College Area High School. She also maintained a small private piano studio for the past 20 years.
In 1997, noticing a need in her community, and desiring to create memorable musical experiences for her daughters, she founded the Nittany Valley Children’s Choir, beginning with 25 students, and growing to more than 100, in three separate choirs. Her auditioned group, the Concordia Singers, gained recognition at state, regional, and national choral conventions, including performing at three American Choral Directors Association National Conferences in 2007, 2011, and 2015. She was also a composer of music for the church, with several published sacred choral anthems.
In addition to her love for music and choir, she enjoyed playing tennis, and riding her electric bicycle. Lou Ann was an avid and prolific baker, like her mother before her — specializing in pies, cupcakes, and cookies of all varieties. She loved shopping for her family, taking great delight in picking out clothes and gifts for her husband, children, and granddaughters. She was an excellent cook, known among her family for her fried chicken, beef roast, and vegetable soup. She also loved word puzzles and Sudoku. Her favorite hobby more recently was babysitting and visiting with her granddaughters — she loved playing, reading to them, singing with them, and enjoying every moment with them.
Lou Ann had a strong and unshakeable faith, having become a believer in Christ as a teenager. She was always active in her church; as a high school student she was the organist and a member of the folk group at Our Lady of Lourdes; later, choir director at Fairview UMC in Bloomington; Director of Music at St. Paul’s UMC in State College; faithful attender and eventually a leader of Branching Out Women’s Bible Study at Oakwood Presbyterian Church. She also led the Oakwood Church Choir. Years later, she served as one of the founding members of Resurrection Orthodox Presbyterian Church, hosting regular Bible studies in her home, serving as one of its pianists, and leading children’s music for Sunday School. She embodied Christ’s selfless and sacrificial love, never seeking recognition but quietly and consistently serving others.
Lou Ann had a lifelong love for hymns and psalms, and in 2008 was asked by the Orthodox Presbyterian Church to serve as the Music Editor for the Trinity Psalter Hymnal, first published in 2018, and currently in its 8th printing. Her work for the Psalter Hymnal included researching and recommending tunes and harmonizations, fitting the psalm texts to the tunes, and entry of all music and lyrics for printing. Four of her works — Consider Well, Up to the Mountain Went the Lord, How Great the Bright Angelic Host, and Song of Mary — are included in the hymnal.
She was deeply loved by her family, and though we have great sorrow and pain at her unexpected passing, and though she will be terribly missed by so many, we rejoice that she trusted in Christ and is with the Lord, and we look forward to our reunion with her in glory.
Public visitation will be from 4:00-7:00 pm on Wednesday, July 17, 2024 at Koch Funeral Home, 2401 S. Atherton St., State College.
A funeral service will be at 11:00 am on Thursday, July 18, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 2221 N Oak Ln, State College with the Reverend Zachary Simmons officiating . Interment will be in Elk Hills Memorial Cemetery in Big Chimney, WV.
Donations may be made to Resurrection Orthodox Presbyterian Church, P. O. Box 584, State College, PA 16804.
Donations may also be made to Nittany Valley Children’s Choir (NVCC) via check to Erin Krol 595 Devonshire Dr. State College, PA 16803, or via PayPal: info@nittanyvalleychildrenschoir.org
Arrangements are in the care of Koch Funeral Home, 2401 South Atherton St. State College, PA 16801.