Thomas P. Schafer

Thomas P. "Tommy" Schafer passed away peacefully on Saturday, October 30, 2010 surrounded by his loving family at his residence in Phoenixville, PA. He was 49. Tom was a member of the 2006 West Chester Football Hall of Fame. He was an avid athlete and successful businessman who was quick to lend a hand with various sorts of enterprises. His #1 priority in life was to make people laugh. Tom spent time as a high school football coach all throughout the Delaware Valley area including: Malvern Prep, Phoenixville High School, St. Pius X, and Perth Amboy, NJ. He graduated with his BS from West Chester University in 1983; there he became All East and All Conference. In 1984, Tom signed a NFL contract with the New England Patriots, later the Philadelphia Eagles and the upstart league USFL. In 1985, he signed with the New York Jets, where in pre-season he suffered a career ending injury. In 1986, he joined a national asbestos removal firm and from there he opened a branch in Philadelphia which grew quickly. He left that firm in 1989 to start his own business in PA and in Europe. He sold the European firm in 1996 and started a new company that same year in New Jersey called American Power Scrape, selling the company in 2005. Tom joined the Mattiola Construction Company in 2006 as a consultant, which subsequently engineered an asset takeover with Haines and Kibble House which led to the name change of the company to Mattiola Services LLC, where Tom became a partner and General Manager. In 1999, he met the love of his life, Karen Daly, and her two sons, Jeff and Eric. They loved to travel and spend time with their three dogs, Heidi, Klaus, and Schotzie. Tom graduated from Upper Merion H.S. in 1979, where he lettered in football, boxing and lacrosse. Schafer was the starting center on the 1978 undefeated football team, which was ranked the #1 team in PA. He enjoyed riding his Harley, was an avid weightlifter and a great entertainer.Born in Bryn Mawr, PA on December 8, 1960, he is the son of Barbara (Walker) Schafer of King of Prussia, PA and the late Daniel N. Schafer, Jr. Surviving is his loving family including his mother, his wife, Karen (Daly) Schafer; 2 sons, Jeff Ward of Phoenixville, PA and Eric Ward of Cedar City, UT; a brother, Dan of King of Prussia, PA; 3 sisters, Nancy Schafer of Royersford, PA, Barbara Jungers and her husband, Dave of Phoenix, MD, and Susan Leonard and her husband, Rich of Swedeland, PA; many nephews and nieces; and was blessed with many great friends.His Funeral Mass will be held at Mother of Divine Providence Church, 333 Allendale Rd., King of Prussia, PA 19406 on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at 11:00am. The family will receive relatives and friends from 9 to 10:50am, at the church. Internment will be private at the request of the family.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Tom's memory to the Tom Schafer Memorial Scholarship, WCU Foundation, P.O. Box 541, West Chester, PA 19381. Write in the memo: Tom Schafer Memorial Scholarship.