Kathleen Schaeffer

Kathleen G. “Kitty” Schaeffer, 92, of Cornwall, passed away at Cornwall Manor on Tuesday, August 31, 2021. She was the wife of Dr. William E. Schaeffer, Jr., with whom she celebrated 65 years of marriage this May. Kathleen was born in Reading on March 3, 1929, to the late Eugene “Otto” and Catherine (Rettenbach) Guenther. She graduated with honors from Albright College in 1951. She was the first Albright graduate to be awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed her to spend a year in Munich, Germany, teaching high school English. She received her master’s degree in German from the University of Illinois and taught English and German at Pottstown and Reading High Schools. In addition to raising six children, Kitty was very involved in the community. She was an active member of St. James Lutheran Church in Lebanon, where she sang in the adult choir, volunteered as the youth music director, taught Sunday school, served as the church secretary and was the chairwoman of the archives committee. She was involved with the Cornwall Borough Water and Sewer Authority for many years. She also was a lifetime member of the Quentin Riding Club, where she served on the board of directors, including acting as treasurer, and managed the stables for twelve years. In addition, she spent many hours with her five daughters helping with their horse-back riding activities: caring for their horses, taking them to horse shows, and even sewing some of their riding jackets. She had a love for all animals (family pets included dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, fish, turtles, and birds), but she had a special affinity for cats, and she adopted and cared for many stray cats over her lifetime. She also was an avid gardener and strong believer in environmental conservation. Surviving in addition to her husband are her children, Charlotte Mason of Crozet, VA; Catherine (Schaeffer) Riggs and her husband Paul of Mountain Top, PA; Elizabeth Smith and her husband Gregory of Olney, MD; Suzanne (Schaeffer) Provencio and her husband Ignacio of Charlottesville, VA; Victoria Fearey and her husband Mark of Phoenix, AZ; and William Schaeffer and his wife Paulette of Placitas, NM; grandchildren, William Mason, Andrew Smith, Sebastian Provencio, Olivia Fearey, Lauren Davis, Sarah Maser, and Matthew Schaeffer; great grandson, William Martin Davis; and a nephew, Christopher Price. She was preceded in death by her sister, Charlotte Price, and her son-in-law, Erik Mason. A funeral service will be held on Saturday, September 4, 2021, at 11 AM at Kreamer Funeral Home and Crematory Inc., 618 E. Main Street, Annville. Interment will follow at the Laureldale Cemetery, Reading, PA. There will be a viewing from 10 AM until 11 AM at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to PAWS, P.O. Box 855, Camp Hill, PA 17001, or St. James Lutheran Church, 53 Chestnut Street, Lebanon, PA 17042. www.kreamerfuneralhome.com