CLARE SCHAEFFER

Clare Schaeffer, nee Kritz, 92, died last month in Tucson. Born in Chicago, the 5th of 6 children to Cantor Aaron Kritz and Anna Denoff Kritz, Clare married Albert Schaeffer in 1942, a year after he enlisted in the Army. When he returned after three years of WWII combat in Europe, they raised two sons, David and Leonard, then resettled in Tucson, where Albert resumed his legal practice until his death 10 years ago. Clare continued into her eighties, practicing the career she had begun in Chicago as a gerontology therapist. Based at Tucson's Handmaker Center for the Aged, she developed her innovative "Reality Orientation Through Music" therapy system, to stimulate the residents' physical and mental activity and awareness. Highly successful results led to demonstrations and lecturing tours in Geriatric Centers across the US and Europe, where her techniques are still in use. Meanwhile, her two sons collaborated in recording original songs written and sung by Leonard. Today, 40 years later, their CD is still widely marketed. Sadly, both sons died too young, but each first married and were the fathers of Clare's three loving grandchildren: Emily Bauer, now in Richmond, VA with husband Matthew and year old son William; Avram Schaeffer, now in Austin, TX with his wife Shaina and daughter Sadie, almost 2: and Amy Fotino, in Warwick, NY with husband Joseph and their three sons: Andrew, 14; Nick, 11; and Joey, 8. In addition to these grandchildren and great-grandchildren, Clare is survived by 5 nephews and 6 nieces, all of whom knew her well and loved her; and her numerous grand- and great-grand nephews and nieces. She was predeceased by two brothers, Alfred and Paul Kritz; and two sisters, Judith Perkins and Brina Rodin; one brother, Robert Kritz, survives. Clare and Albert, in tribute to their talented sons, have endowed a Scholarship Fund at the Univ. of Arizona for 23 years, which they hoped will go on helping graduating musicians launch their careers. After a private Memorial Service, Clare's ashes will be scattered in Sabino Canyon (Arizona) near those of her sons.