Obituaries

Michael William Schaefer, 78, of Elburn, Illinois, passed away peacefully after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Michael was born on February 22, 1944, in Chicago, Illinois to Arthur and Virginia Schaefer.
Michael graduated from DePaul University and DePaul Law School, marrying his middle school sweetheart, Patricia (Sweeney), along the way. Mike had seriously considered a path toward Catholic priesthood in his youth but chose instead to pursue a life dedicated to love of family. He remained a fierce advocate for justice, in the courtroom and elsewhere, throughout his life.
Mike was a talented and hard-working attorney who took much pride in his chosen profession; he loved a good debate, and never hesitated to make one, whether on behalf of his clients, or at the dining room table. He had a successful career in private practice and appeared before the Illinois Supreme Court, to the immense pride of his family.
The second eldest of thirteen children, Mike was devoted to his family, and consistently provided much love and support to all of his siblings. A true family man, Mike was a dedicated, engaged, and deeply committed father and grandfather to his children and grandchildren, leading by example, and by active encouragement, always. Mike was ahead of his time in many ways.
A naturally talented athlete, Mike enjoyed – and excelled at – just about every sport he tried. As an adult, he was often spotted rounding first base on his 16” softball team, coaching his kids’ soccer teams, in his black and tan plus-fours on the golf course, crewing in a sailboat race on Lake Michigan, or competing on the agility course with his dog, Cain. Mike shared his love of adventure and the outdoors with his wife and children, planning countless excursions to far flung places; camping, hiking, and boating across nearly every state in the nation, taking now-treasured photographs along the way.
Though Mike was sometimes known for the imposing figure he projected, that stern façade guarded a deeply loving, tender, and generous husband, father, grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend. He was especially delighted that so many of those life-long relationships – the ones that always meant so much to him – were honored and celebrated, when he and his beloved Patti joyously commemorated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2016.
Michael was predeceased by Patricia, his loving wife of 55 years, who passed away in October 2021. Michael is survived by his children, Christine Schaefer, Kelly (Schaefer) and Doug Gagne, Daniel and Kristine (Gableson) Schaefer, and his grandchildren, Kelsey Dame, Brian Dame, Shannon Dame, Alex Gagne, and Calder Gagne.
A Service/Celebration of Life will be held at a future date. In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution in Mike’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org) or to an organization your own family holds dear.

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