Sat Oct 25 18:30:00 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a news article summarizing the provided information:

Zanesville Mourns the Loss of Velma A. Shaffer-Toole

ZANESVILLE, OH – October 25, 2025 – Velma A. Shaffer-Toole, a longtime Zanesville resident and retired Operations Manager for Merrill-Lynch & Company, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at Brookdale Senior Living. She was 96 years old.

Born on August 10, 1929, in Zanesville to Andrew and Hailly (Marsh) Shaffer, Velma dedicated over 43 years to Merrill-Lynch, retiring in 1992. She was a member of St. Nicholas Catholic Church and a passionate lover of the outdoors. Velma found joy in gardening, painting landscape portraits, and spending time in nature.

Velma was preceded in death by her husband, William L. Toole, who passed away in 1985, her companion Edward Lewellen and ten siblings, Dorsey, Edna, Harold, Gerald, Bob, Helen, Howard, Donald, Kenneth and Ralph.

She is survived by her sisters, Audrey (Jerry) Smith and Frieda Sikora; brother-in-law, Raymond Toole; sister-in-law, Patricia Toole; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews, friends, and acquaintances.

A visitation will be held at Hillis Combs Funeral Home, 935 Forest Avenue, on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM, followed by a funeral service officiated by Fr. David Young at 11:00 AM. Velma will be laid to rest beside her husband in Mt. Olive Cemetery.

The family requests that those wishing to express their sympathy consider sharing memories, offering condolences, or making a donation in Velma’s memory to a forest in need. Online condolences may be left at http://www.hilliscombsfh.com.

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