Mom of 2 Among Victims of American Airlines Plane Crash, Remembered for Her ‘Unwavering Spirit’ and ‘Radiant Soul’

A North Carolina family is mourning the loss of a wife and mother who was killed in the American Airlines crash on Wednesday, Jan. 29, in Washington, D.C. 

Wendy Jo Shaffer was identified as one of the victims of the mid-air collision that authorities believe killed all 67 members on both the plane and the U.S. Army helicopter.

Now, Shaffer’s family and friends are remembering her as someone with a contagious “unwavering spirit.”

Shaffer was a mom of two boys, ages 1 and 3, who was dedicated to her children and husband, the family says.

In a statement, her husband Nate Shaffer spoke about his devastating loss.

“I’m still waiting to wake up from this nightmare, but I fear this is the truth,” he said in a statement on Thursday; a family member confirmed his note to PEOPLE.

“We will miss you more than words can express, Wendy Jo. I love you endlessly,” he conitnued.

In a GoFundMe set up to assist with her funeral costs and children’s education, Wendy is being remembered as a “radiant soul” who “dreamed of watching [her sons] grow into the amazing individuals she knew they would become.”

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The other victims included five plumbers union members, 14 U.S. figure skating members, three soldiers on the helicopter and four crew members of the American Airlines flight.

The crash, deadliest since a November 2001 crash also involving American Airlines that killed 260, is being investigated by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board.