Patrick (Rick) Schaffer

Patrick A. (Rick) Schaffer, 59, of Columbus and formerly of Norwalk died September 26, 2025 after a battle with cancer.

Rick was born January 19, 1966 in Lodi, Ohio to Jack and Pat (Schnurr) Schaffer. He learned the importance of hard work from his parents, who operated Litchfield Elevator when he was a child. Rick worked with his dad Saturdays and throughout each summer starting at age 11, learning all aspects of the grain and feed operation. The experience laid the foundation for professional success over the remainder of Rick's life.

After graduation from Norwalk St. Paul High School, Rick earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Bowling Green State University.

At BG, Rick met the love of his life, Robyn Kouba. They were married April 23, 1988, at St. Alphonse's Catholic Church, Peru. Rick was extremely proud of Robyn's professional accomplishments as a clinical psychologist and appreciative of her unwavering life-long support, especially after he became sick. The couple's favorite accomplishment is the raising of their son, Taylor Brinton Schaffer, who most recently lived in Vermont but returned home to help care for his dad.

After the family business closed while Rick was a senior in high school, he began working part time at WLKR Radio and the Norwalk Reflector. He kept associations with each outlet for many years. Rick travelled to Cleveland Indian's spring training in Tucson, AZ, most years from 1984 to 1992, dispatching daily reports to the Reflector. Covering the Tribe was the professional thrill of his life.

His first full-time job was selling radio advertising for the radio station. He then tried his hand at the new family business, New York Life Insurance. In 1990, he became a full-time staff writer with the Reflector. He also had reporting stints with the Troy Daily News in southwest Ohio, the Fairfax Journal in Virginia and the Products Safety Letter, a trade publication covering the actions of the United States Consumer Products Safety Commission in Washington D.C. With Robyn's discharge as a Captain from the United States Air Force, Rick returned to the Reflector in 1995. He greatly enjoyed being a reporter but the newspaper business was about to go on a long, downward turn.

Following the insightful advice of Mayor Louis Frey, Rick started a new career at the Norwalk Water Treatment Plant in 1999. He quickly became a fully licensed water supply operator and was promoted to chief operator in 2007.

The City of Wilmington, Ohio, hired Rick as Water Treatment Plant Superintendent in 2017. He was promoted to Pubic Works Director in 2019, overseeing the water, wastewater, stormwater and utility billing departments. Rick led the design and initial construction phase of Wilmington's new $50 million wastewater treatment plant. His leadership allowed the formation of a water partnership enabling the location of the $4 billion Honda-LG electric battery plant in Jeffersonville.

Rick returned home for several months in 2024, while serving as assistant superintendent of the Oberlin Water Department under his mentor form the Norwalk Water Department, Bill Albrecht -- now superintendent at Oberlin. Rick cherished being able to spend that time with his parents.

He was recruited to return to Wilmington by Norwalk native T. Alex Beres, executive director of the Clinton County Port Authority, where Rick held the position of projects manager until his death.

When Taylor was young, Rick served on the board of trustees at the Early Childhood Center and was a long-time volunteer with Firelands Rails to Trails.

There will be no public arrangements. Rick's body was donated to science through Ohio State University. Memorial contributions may be made to Firelands Rails to Trails, Inc., 69 S. Ridge St., Monroeville, Ohio 44847, or at www.frtti.org