In Memoriam - Mary Schaefer
Mary Neva Pankey Schaefer
December 20, 1928 – November 24, 2005
Mary was born on December 20, 1928, in San Francisco, CA. Her father was a Presbyterian pastor who served several churches throughout California.
Mary attended Long Beach City College where she met her future husband, Robert Schaefer, Jr. She graduated from Occidental College Phi Beta Kappa in 1951 and taught elementary school before she and Bob got married and started their family. Settling in San Leandro, they began parenting their brood of five children, twins Rick and Scotty, Debbie, Melinda and Ken. Once the last of the children was born, the family relocated to Green Valley where she lived until the death of her husband in 1974.
She then moved to Fairfield and threw herself into Bob's real estate business. In her later years, she returned to her first love, teaching. She loved the challenges of substitute teaching and teaching music. She retired in 2002.
An avid learner, she was always taking classes at the community college to expand her world view. She traveled extensively. During her travels in London, in February, 1991, she met Tony Baldwin. That is when Tony’s Northern California musical adventure really began. Mary was living in London that spring and singing alto in the choir at the American Church in London. This is where Tony was the organist, playing on an old electronic organ. Recognizing Tony’s skill, because her sister was an organist, Mary bribed him with a few dinners to play for her on a pipe organ.
Discovering that Tony loved performing and had a long-standing desire to visit the United States, Mary began arranging his concert tour for l992. These tours continued each year through 1996.
Mary’s commitment to the community was tireless. She was passionately involved in the Presbyterian Church in Fairfield where she was an active elder. Mary was a patron of local theatre arts, often ushering at local productions.
She was an energetic member of the music community. A lover of all kinds of music, she served as President of the Solano Choral Society. She loved writing concert program notes and working on publicity. Over the years, she befriended many young people in the community, some of whom considered her a second mom because of her generous heart, adventuresome spirit, and words of wisdom. Mary delighted in shepherding those who loved to sing into new opportunities.
She became known affectionately and will always remain in our hearts as “Mother Mary”. Several of us, in the music community she left behind, felt strongly that our task wasn’t done. We needed to come together, to bring Tony back, to sing a concert in her memory, and celebrate her life by doing the music she loved so much. We dedicate these performances of the Tony Baldwin Chorale to the Memory of Mary Schaefer and to the Glory of God.