Helen Deloris Schaefer

Marion, Virginia

Helen Deloris Schaefer, age 82, passed away November 14, 2025, at Johnston Memorial Hospital in Abingdon, Virginia.

Helen was born July 17, 1943, in Philadelphia, daughter to Thomas and Tilly Stearns. Her mother passed away 3 days after her birth, and she was raised by her grandmother and aunts in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Her father devoted many weekends with her, treating her to shows and musicals in New York City and to other cultural trips. She grew up near the beaches of Atlantic City, which she always cherished, and graduated from high school there in 1961, where she served on the committee that published the school yearbook. Helen married Carl Schaefer on September 9th, 1961, and began work at the Bell Telephone Company as a long-distance operator. Money was scarce in those early years, and she carefully managed the household accounts to support Carl through anesthesia school and to raise their three children. The family moved to Marion, Virginia in 1971, where Helen worked at Grants department store and then as the personnel manager at K-mart. Blessed with an exceptional talent for financial management, Helen was employed as a buyer and bookkeeper for Friends of Mt. Rogers, maintaining the ledgers for numerous ranger stations between Blacksburg and Whitetop Mountain. She served as treasurer of the Marion Senior High School Quarterback Club and devoted many volunteer hours assisting relatives and friends in overcoming debt. The family vacationed frequently in New Jersey to see family and friends, eventually establishing a family ritual to stay a month in the fall at Brigantine Beach, just north of Atlantic City. Helen loved time on the Jersey Shore, as much as she did during her childhood. She also loved living in the mountains of Virginia, where she enjoyed scenic bus trips throughout the area, such as visits to the Biltmore Estate, in Asheville, North Carolina. She loved to learn, and she and Carl attended classes two semesters a year at Virginia Highlands Community College, College for Older Adults. Helen loved to spend time outdoors, gardening and landscaping, and she kept a beautiful, Tudor-style home, decorating it for every holiday. She spent time staying in touch with friends and family, working on jigsaw puzzles, and watching baseball. Above all else, she loved her husband and her children.

Helen is survived by her husband of 64 years, Carl; her sons, Carl (Debbie) of Woodbridge, Virginia, and Michael of Huntsville, Alabama; and her nephew, Geoffrey (Brandi) of Broadlands, Virginia. She was preceded in death by her beloved daughter, Catherine, in February 2025.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church, c/o Treasurer, 124 Park Boulevard, Marion VA 24354.

To share memories of Helen Deloris Schaefer, please visit www.seaverbrown.com Care for Helen has been entrusted to Fraziers’ Seaver-Brown Funeral Service & Crematory, 237 East Main Street, Marion VA 24354.