"He was the last pastor to live in a house that the church owns and which we turned into a shelter for homeless families. Oftentimes, they are split up, and this facility, which we named Shreffler House, allows them to stay together," Mr. Link said.
When he retired in 1983, Mr. Shreffler immediately became active in a Baltimore street ministry for the homeless and AIDS victims based at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church. He also often worked the midnight shift at the old Mother Theresa AIDS Shelter and also visited prison inmates.
"Dick was a marvelous guy with an amazing spirit. He was a gentle and incredibly humble person who always put others first," said the Rev. Alison Halsey, pastor of First and Franklin.
"He wanted to make sure that the homeless could take showers, have clean clothes and despite being homeless, give them a sense of dignity," she said.
Ms. Halsey recalled how supportive he was of her ministry.
"Every Sunday, he'd greet me at the door of the church after my services and say, 'That was just marvelous. I don't know how you do it week after week.' He had the ability to make others feel special as if you were the most important person to him," she said.
When Ms. Halsey announced his death in church last Sunday, there was a collective sigh.
"He was so loved by so many people. With his death, the world has lost a treasure," she said.
For years, Mr. Shreffler maintained a physical regimen that included swimming, hiking and riding his bike.
Mr. Shreffler lived for 12 years on Park Avenue before moving to Oak Crest Village in Parkville in 1996. He moved to San Antonio two years ago when his health began to fail.
A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. May 23 at First and Franklin Presbyterian Church, 210 W. Madison St. A second memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. May 24 at the First Presbyterian Church, 224 N. Main St., Bel Air.
Also surviving are several other nieces and nephews.
fred.rasmussen@baltsun.com
