Helen Mary Kauffman

Helen Mary Schaberg Kauffman (Squeaky) passed away peacefully on October 13, 2025, at the age of 83. Born on November 21, 1941, in St. Louis, Missouri to Helen (Walsh) and Kenneth Schaberg, Helen was the third child with siblings Kevin, Jane, and Kathy. Helen dedicated her life to embodying the spiritual values of love, peace, and compassion in every interaction, and through her work empowering women, advocating for social justice, and fostering a sense of personal healing and balance.

A voracious reader and educator at heart, Helen studied at Barat College in Illinois and St. Louis University where she earned a Master's degree in Secondary Education. She followed this with a Master's of Divinity from Yale Divinity School, and finally a Master's of Social Work at University of Maryland, Baltimore.

Helen's professional life was defined by a dedication to service. She taught English at City House and Mercy High Schools in St. Louis, where she nurtured the minds and hearts of high school students, especially encouraging young women to find their voice and their power in the world. After studying divinity with many who went on to ordination, Helen forged her own path of service as chaplain, pastoral care counselor, and a clinical social worker at Good Samaritan, Spring Grove, and Shepard Pratt hospitals in Baltimore. She ultimately developed a private practice as a psychotherapist. She drew upon her spiritual grounding and deep respect for the divine within us all, accompanying hundreds of clients during moments of vulnerability with respect, wisdom, and grace. Her empathetic and gentle spirit was informed by her love of travel and culture which took her to the Middle East, India, Nepal, Morocco, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Ecuador and throughout Europe.

With her late, beloved husband of 51 years, Christopher Kauffman, she was an active member of Corpus Christi parish and was an advocate for women's ordination in the Catholic Church. Helen was able to find beauty and hope within the conflict of her feminist spirituality and her Catholic identity. The tensions she experienced living her faith helped her appreciate our perfectly imperfect lives with richness and humor. In this spirit, she guided her three children in discovering their own unique voices and gifts.

She is survived by their three loving children, Jane Kauffman Marinelli (Robert Marinelli) of Baltimore; Christopher Kauffman (Emily Windover) of Gettysburg Pennsylvania; Katie Kauffman of Baltimore; and seven grandchildren Michael Marinelli, Katrina Marinelli, Seessa Kauffman, Rosa Kauffman, Ruby Kauffman, Phoebe Kauffman, and Mia Kauffman. Her legacy of love, justice, and spiritual depth continues to inspire those who knew her.

A visitation with the family will be held at The Ivy Bookstore on Friday Nov. 21 from 7-9 PM. A Celebration of Life will be held at Corpus Christi Church in Bolton Hill (110 W Lafayette Ave, Baltimore, MD 21217) at 10am on Nov. 22nd. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Southern Poverty Law Center, Gilchrist Hospice, ACLU, Equal Rights Campaign, or the World Central Kitchen. Her spirit will live on in all who were privileged to know her.