Joan Aiazzi Shaffer

Our beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and sister, Joan Aiazzi Shaffer, 67, tragically passed away and was called home to the Lord, on December 8, 2025, in Reno, Nevada.
Joan was born on September 7, 1958, in Yerington, Nevada to Pete and Estelle Aiazzi, where she grew up alongside her older brothers, Steve and Ron. She graduated from Yerington High School in 1976, where she was an active member of the drill team and the golf team. In her free time while growing up in rural Nevada she enjoyed riding her horse, Sandy. She later pursued further education at the Heald Business College in Sacramento, CA, preparing her for a successful career at Sierra Pacific Power Company and later at Truckee Meadows Water Authority in Reno, NV. It was during her time working at Sierra Pacific she met her spouse Jim through co-workers. Jim and Joan were married on September 6, 1986, at Sparks Methodist Church, in Sparks, NV.
Joan embraced life with enthusiasm and radiated a vibrant energy wherever she went. Throughout the years alongside her husband Jim, she created many treasured memories jet skiing, camping, bike riding, off-roading in their side-by-side, and most recently taking jeep adventures together while enjoying retirement with their Corgi Bella. Joan was naturally artistic, finding fulfillment in drawing, painting, crocheting, quilting, and wood crafting with her scroll saw. She also enjoyed tending to her garden and cooking for loved ones, celebrating her Italian heritage through food and family.
Joan's greatest joy came from time spent with family. She is lovingly remembered by her husband James "Jim" Robert Shaffer Jr.; stepdaughter Audrey LaGrasse (Lee); daughter Lindsey Besoain (Ben); grandchildren Adam LaGrasse, Jason LaGrasse, and Kinsley Besoain; brother Stephen Aiazzi (Denise); sister-in-law Carol Cecil (Donald); as well as numerous nieces and nephews who were dear to her heart.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents Emilio and Vinila (Quilici) Aiazzi; parents Pete and Estelle (Lacy) Aiazzi; and her older brother Ronald Aiazzi.
A service will be held in Spring of 2026 (TBA) to honor Joan's life and legacy.
Joan will be remembered for the strength she showed through life's challenges, the optimism she carried into every day, and the kindness she extended to all who knew her. May her memory bring comfort to those who loved her.
Please feel free to make a donation to one of Joan's favorite charities:
National Multiple Sclerosis Society at https://www.nationalmssociety.org/
Lupus Foundation of America at https://www.lupus.org/