Jolene Louise (Grugan) Shiffler

Jolene Louise Grugan Shiffler passed away in her sleep on Friday, March 28, 2025, at the age of 87. A small graveside service of committal will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, April 11 at Westview Cemetery in Kinston, NC.

Jo was the daughter of George and Louise Grugan of Lock Haven, PA, where she grew up with her cousin Jeffrey.  She graduated with bachelor’s degrees in education and Speech Therapy from Penn State University.  She taught in Washington, DC before marrying her husband of 60 years, Dr. Donald A. Shiffler, and moving to Ithaca, NY while he completed his PhD. She relocated permanently to Kinston, NC in 1965, where she raised her three children, Donald, Jill and Paul.  

She loved to travel, making annual pilgrimages to the maritime provinces of Canada, the American Southwest, New England and Minnesota where she visited family, made new and kept old friendships.  However, Jo’s most passionate hobby was her pets. A devout animal lover, over the years she adored her West Highland White Terriers, Standard Schnauzers, Siamese cats, and usually at any given time, an adopted stray cat.

Jo is survived by her three children: Donald A. Shiffler, Jr (with wife Renee, Albuquerque, NM), Jill Owens (with husband James, Charlotte, NC), and Paul G. Shiffler (with wife Beth, Maynard, MA), her six grandchildren: Stacy Copp (with husband David, Irvine, CA), David Shiffler (Logan, UT), Grace Owens (Boone, NC), Andrew and Alexandra and Abigail Shiffler (Maynard, MA), and two great-grandchildren Lydia and Leila Copp (Irvine, CA).

The family requests that, in lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be made to Best Friends Animal Sanctuary (5001 Angel Canyon Rd, Kanab, UT 84741, or online at https://bestfriends.org), or the Batra-Shiffler Graduate Award, (NCSU Foundation - NCSU Foundation/Advancement Services, Campus Box 7474, Raleigh, NC 27995-7474 or online at https://thenonwovensinstitute.com/support-nwi/).