On June 22, Patricia Elizabeth Schaefer left this world to be with her beloved husband, Phil.
Mrs. Schaefer, known warmly as Pat, was born in Baltimore as one of nine children. She was raised in a three-story brownstone just a couple of blocks from her church and school, The Shrine of the Little Flower.
After high school, she worked as a secretary before meeting Mr. Schaefer. They married on Oct. 11, 1958, at the age of 24.
Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer, possessing a profound desire to build a family, turned to adoption, a decision that would beautifully define their lives. While living in Florida, they welcomed their first child through Catholic Charities in Tampa.
Their love for this child was so great that they decided to adopt a second child a little more than a year later. Two years later, after a move to Knoxville, Catholic Charities called again to ask if they could take one more, to which they agreed immediately. Four years after that, they answered a final call for a child in need of a family. Four children, from different backgrounds, were wholly welcomed and loved by Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer.
Mr. Schaefer, a professor of mathematics at the University of Tennessee, and Mrs. Schaefer, a devoted stay-at-home mom, raised and loved their four children fiercely. Mrs. Schaefer’s life was deeply rooted in faith and service. She sang in the church choir, volunteered for organizations like the Ladies of Charity in Knoxville, played tennis with other faculty wives, delivered Meals on Wheels, and volunteered at FISH to combat hunger and help the elderly. Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer loved hosting friends in their home, playing bridge late into the evenings.
Mrs. Schaefer had many dear friends, many of whom passed before her, but she continued to live a full life at NHC Farragut, visited frequently by her children. As those children grew and built lives of their own, Mrs. Schaefer’s legacy of love expanded to include nine grandchildren, who brought a new generation of joy into her life. She lost Mr. Schaefer in 2024, but with her signature spirit, was in no hurry to see him again. She held fast to her Catholic faith, receiving Communion weekly from eucharistic ministers and praying with them.
Mrs. Schaefer was a magnificent mother and grandmother. While her path to motherhood may not have been exactly what she envisioned as a little girl, building her family through adoption was her true destiny, and she embraced it with immense pride and always with a smile. She will be deeply missed on this earth, but her children and grandchildren shine on as living examples of the boundless love she gave and taught them.
A funeral Mass for Mrs. Schaefer was celebrated on July 3 at All Saints Church in Knoxville. Donations in her memory may be made to Ladies of Charity in Knoxville, 120 W. Baxter Ave., Knoxville, TN 37917, or your own local Ladies of Charity in her honor.