Deborah J. (Platt) Schaffhauser

Deborah Jean (Platt) Schaffhauser, 67, of Storrs Mansfield, CT passed away on June 14, 2022 at Hartford Hospital, surrounded by family, after a hard-fought battle with cancer.  Debbie was born on April 19, 1955 to Richard and Rose (Curol) Platt at Manchester Hospital.

Debbie will always be remembered for her energetic adventurous spirit and love of family and friends. She is survived by her husband John F. Schaffhauser, daughter Elle, sister Jennifer (Allen) Stupica, nieces Sandi (Mike) Podolan and Claire (Sam) Stupica, Grand-niece Lois Rose Podolan,  brother-in-law William Schaffhauser Jr., sister-in-law Peg Schaffhauser, God-Daughter Katie Welch (and George, Will, and Ben Welch), and many close friends.

Growing up on Coventry Lake and the family’s vacations in Cape Cod were wonderful times for the Platt family. Debbie was a 1973 graduate of Coventry High School. Some of her fondest memories of high school were being in the high school band, directed by Carl Salina. Her participation in band fostered many close friendships and a love for travel. After high school, she followed her interest in art, earning a degree in Interior Design at UCONN. She worked in the Registrar Office at UCONN for over 40 years, before retiring in 2013.  Debbie's projects there included scheduling classes and rooms and producing the UCONN Catalog.  Debbie earned a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration.  She was a member and elected Area Representative in the University of Connecticut Professional Employees Association. 

Debbie was a long-time member of the Windham Historical Society and served as a director.  She enjoyed restoring her Grandmother’s Victorian home and gardens in Willimantic.  She volunteered at the CT Special Olympics.

Debbie said she never retired, because her interest in collecting and selling antiques, vintage, and collectibles became her next joy. Although her interest in antiques started with collecting vintage Christmas items, it later blossomed to encompass many different collections. She shared this love with her mother Rose and daughter Elle. This hobby soon blossomed into a successful small business that she deemed was for the young at heart. She not only loved the idea of preserving the past and bringing antiques long forgotten back to life and into the homes of those who would most appreciate them, she loved sharing her passion for antiques with her patrons and close friends. Her business ‘A Splash In Time’ appeared in several towns throughout Connecticut, most recently finding an abundance of success at Quality Consignments in Colchester.

In 1995, Debbie married her husband John, whom she met while working at UCONN. Their daughter Elle was the love of Deb’s life. She was very proud of Elle’s many accomplishments and enjoyed Elle’s interest in drama and choral performance. They were always together, always close. Debbie’s loving and adventurous spirit was infectious and is apparent in Elle and will continue to live on.  The family enjoyed trips to Alaska, Maine, Michigan, Vermont, Egypt, Texas, and Florida.   A favorite vacation spot was the Rhode Island shore.  Cherished pets included Sunny, Mollie, Alice, Willie, and Andy.

There will be a Celebration of Life for Debbie on Saturday, August 6, 2022 from 1:00pm to 4:00pm at the Windham Golf Club, Club Road, North Windham, CT. If you are attending, please try to avoid wearing black. In lieu of flowers, Debbie can be honored with a memorial gift to: Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, American Cancer Society, or The Windham CT Historical Society. For an online memorial guestbook, please visit www.potterfuneralhome.com

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