Loved ones filled St. Jude of the Lake Catholic Church in Mahtomedi Wednesday morning to remember Wendy Jo Shaffer.

Last month, Shaffer, 35, was a passenger on the American Airlines jet that collided with a US Army Black Hawk helicopter crashing into the Potomac River in our nation’s capital.

“She was a woman whose energy and spirit were unmatched — full of love, life and undeniable passion for life,” said Wendy’s sister, Emily, at the funeral service. “She was the type of person who lived every day with purpose.”

Shaffer grew up playing hockey in Mahtomedi and graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a chemical engineering degree.

She later moved to North Carolina, started a family and worked as senior director for Cargill. “When you were with Wendy, you were also happy all the time,” said Elle Kehoe, a friend of Shaffer.

A foundation has been set up in Shaffer’s name, focusing on supporting women in professional spaces, with a focus on engineering, math and science.

“We’re hoping, with this foundation, that we’ll be able to bring this confidence to other females and empower them to pursue their dreams,” Kehoe said.

The Primp boutique in White Bear Lake is running a fundraiser for the foundation by filling her favorite candy in goodie bags. All month long, 10% of its online sales go toward that mission.

In addition, shoppers can also come in person on Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to help support it as well. Anyone who does will get a beaded bracelet with the letters WWWD, short for “What Would Wendy Do.”

“It means a lot to us to be able to do something special for her,” said Riley Gorman, manager.

A celebration of life was also held later in the day on Wednesday at JX Venue in Stillwater for Shaffer. The cause of the plane and helicopter collision remains under investigation.

CLICK HERE to donate to the GoFundMe set up for the Shaffer family.

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