Grace Katherine Schafer

Grace Katherine Schafer, 82, of Osprey, FL, died unexpectedly on July 8, 2026 at Sarasota Memorial Hospital. Born August 19, 1943, in Fremont, MI, to Ben and Marie Deuling, she spent most of her childhood in Muskegon, MI. 

After graduating high school from Marywood Academy in Grand Rapids, Grace attended Aquinas College, earning a teaching degree. She later attended Michigan State University where she completed a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling. 

While at Michigan State, Grace met John Schafer, and they were married in 1967. They moved to Ames, IA, where they lived and worked for the next 45 years. Helping and serving others was always a driving force for Grace; she worked at both St. Thomas Aquinas Church & Catholic Student Center and the Richmond Center while raising her family. Starting out as snowbirds, Grace and John eventually settled in Osprey, FL, full-time.

Faith was an important part of Grace’s life, and she was an active member of both St. Thomas Aquinas in Ames and Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Osprey.

Grace enjoyed traveling the world and meeting people to understand more about their lives. After retirement, John and Grace continued to travel the U.S. and were seasonal volunteers with the National Park Service, serving at both Casa Grande Ruins National Monument in Arizona and Natchez National Historical Park in Mississippi. In recent years, she was known as the lady who traveled the U.S. while camping in her car, visiting friends and family, and seeing truly amazing places. She always felt blessed to have the opportunity to explore.

Grace was well known for being a gracious host. She never let anyone feel like a stranger and welcomed anyone into her home with delicious meals. She loved to garden and enjoyed her daily walks.

Grace is survived by two sons, Ben (Amy) Schafer of Cedar Falls, IA, and Joe (Beth Huebner) Schafer of Phoenix, AZ; a daughter, Katie (Greg) Schafer of Marshalltown, IA; seven grandchildren: Margaret, Patrick, Ellie, Caroline, Daniel, Andrew, and Jamie, and a sister, Judy Johnson of Grand Rapids, MI. She is reunited in death with her husband John; her parents Ben and Marie; her brother Jim; and her sisters Pat, Darlene, and Doris.

A celebration of life will be held on August 11, 2026, at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Osprey, FL, at 10:00 am. Her cremains will be placed in the memorial garden at Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to the food bank of your choice.