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Fire crews rushed to the home on Aurora Drive in the Garrett Park Estates neighborhood on Friday, Feb. 28, according to a Montgomery County Fire & Rescue spokesperson.
Firefighters managed to rescue Shaffer, who was blind and unable to escape on his own, but he later died at the hospital from his injuries.
The Kensington fire.
Officials determined the fire was accidental, with multiple possible ignition sources, including smoking materials, electrical items, and a space heater.
Now his family is remembering the former Supreme Court litigator and Stanford Law graduate who spent his career fighting for civil rights.
According to a GoFundMe launched by his children, Shaffer argued major class-action lawsuits against the FBI and CIA and was instrumental in making Washington, DC’s Metro system accessible for the blind.
“He turned his disability into a strength and decided he would use it to become an activist for accessibility rights for the blind,” his children wrote. “He spoke at the Pentagon frequently regarding disability rights and worked closely with Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind.”
Just weeks before his death, Shaffer won his final class-action lawsuit on behalf of female FBI agents who faced gender discrimination in the workplace.
His family described him as “brilliant” and “humble,” with a photographic memory and a passion for nature.
"He was so intelligent that he joked his social skills might have lacked as a result," Brynn Shaffer mused. "He was nerdy, awkward, stayed true to himself, kind, humble, gentle, and cared about the things that mattered."
After losing his sight 15 years ago due to glaucoma, he learned to identify birds by their calls and never let his disability stop him from advocating for others, his family said.
“The last time I saw him, I asked him for some ‘life advice,’” his child wrote. “He simply stated, ‘Do what makes you happy.’"
The fire also displaced his longtime partner, Joyce, who lost her home and belongings in the blaze.
David Shaffer
A GoFundMe has been launched to cover funeral expenses and recovery costs. Donations can be found here.
The family said any extra funds would be donated to Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind in his honor.
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