John A. Schaefer
September 20, 1943 ~ January 27, 2023
John A. Schaefer, 79, of Indianapolis, Indiana, passed away on January 27, 2023, at sea, while cruising in Florida. John was born in Beech Grove, Indiana on September 20, 1943, to the late John B. and Wilma (Reilly)Schaefer. John was a veteran of the United States Army and went on to marry the love of his life, Ruth (Neumeister) Schaefer, on November 27, 1965. John was a Foreman at Navistar up until his retirement in 2003. John enjoyed golfing, boating and gambling. He enjoyed hunting with his sons and grandsons and traveling with his family. John was a CYO coach for many years, and coached many different sports at St. Barnabas Catholic School. His true passion was always football. He achieved several coaching awards, with the John Bosco Award being his most prestigious. John lead his teams to may city championships throughout the years. John loved to spend his Friday evenings with food and fellowship, while having dinner with friends and neighbors. He loved his family and never missed his grandchildren’s school and sporting events.
John is survived by his loving wife; Ruth (Neumeister) Schaefer, children; John (Dannetta) Schaefer, Scott (Alberto) Schaefer and Julia (David) Hommel, grandchildren; John (Heather) Schaefer, Ricky Schaefer, Meiara (Tanner) Schaefer, Reese, Emery & Faith Hommel, great-granddaughter; Adalyn Schaefer and sister; Anita Biltz.
Visitation will be held at O’Riley Branson Funeral Service & Crematory on Friday, February 3, 2023, from 4:00pm-8:00pm. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at St. Barnabas Church (Indianapolis) on Saturday, February 4, 2023, at 11:00am. Please visit www.orileybranson.com to share a favorite memory or to sign the online guest registry.
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Dear Ruthie and family,
I am so sorry to hear about John’s passing.
Sending peace, prayers, and love to you all..
I know he’s with God, in his loving arms…
With Love, Vicki
Ralph Stivali has purchased Eco-Friendly Memorial Trees for John Schaefer
Waggoner Family has purchased Eternal Friendship for John Schaefer
Love, Kimberly, David and Dot has purchased Eco-Friendly Memorial Trees for John Schaefer
My St. Barnabas football coach. He really cared. Says something about the character of a man if I remember him fondly more than 4 decades later. Rest in Peace.
I am so grateful to have spent the last week of John’s life on earth with him, Ruth and Scott on one of our many wonderful cruises. He got to enjoy an amazing meal on his last night and to spend time with Scott.
John, I can see why you have such a great family; you are a great man. We will all miss you. I will certainly miss your visits to FL to spend time with us on cruises and other vacations.
Love you,
Al
Love, your work family has purchased Father Wind Chimes for John Schaefer
Rest in peace, John. We all love and will miss you! So dear to our hearts. Jim and Joyce Bandy
Godspeed John! You will be missed.
So sorry for the loss of your husband, dad and grandfather, I work with John at Caterpillar.
Sorry for your loss. Praying for your family during this time.
Ruth and children, we are so very sorry for your loss.
It was a great experience working with John, he was always an asset to the job and to his employees. May God take his hand and Bless him for a job well done.
Sorry for your loss May GOD BLESS You and remove all pain from your hearts. May his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of GOD rest in peace.
Those we love don’t go away
They walk beside us everyday
Unseen unheard but always near
Still loved still missed and very dear
Praying for comfort and peace for your family during this time. May you find comfort in knowing he is now home.
Shabnam has purchased Eco-Friendly Memorial Trees for John Schaefer
I have been blessed with forty years of your love, kindness and generosity.
Watching you lead by example has been like reading a well written book on how to be a hero.
You didn’t realize I was watching you and taking it all in, but I was:
Your discipline to work ethic, devotion to faith & family,
The courage & strength you displayed when some of us had none.
The times you made compromises and gave forgiveness when necessary for keeping the peace in our family,
Your extraordinary generosity of sharing, giving & caring for your family, friends, co-workers, community and the less fortunate.
The most valuable lesson & memory of you is simple: enjoy the moments of being with your family.
Watching you sit back drinking a Miller Lite beer with pride written all over your face, smiling & laughing, while basking in the glory of your legacy has been priceless.
Thank you for leading by example, John, My Hero. I will miss you!
Love your daughter (in law),
Hey PS I have your Lotto tickets & I won’t forget to play them. ❤
Time and conversations with Sonny were always uplifting. Wishing his family peace and comfort.
Love you, Sonny.
Ruth and family our sincerest condolences on the passing of John. I worked with John many years at Navistar and he was always a pleasure to be around. After we retired we didn’t see each other much but the last time we did he was leaving the casino as I was going in!! We stopped and chatted for awhile and John left with that grin and laugh unique to him!
Bob and Tona Canter
On behalf of my family, I would like to thank you all for your support & kindness. I would also like to thank the people who can’t be here because they’re too busy on hole 9 with my grandfather, John Andrew Schaefer.
It feels weird to be writing this because I know he’d probably hate everyone praising him & focusing all the attention on him. But that’s basically the kind of person he was. Selfless, noble, private ect.
Some people like to talk about their loved ones accomplishments, and their best qualities but if i did that right now we’d probably need another lifetime.
I was going to make a list of all his nicknames & achievements, but we all know what kind of man he was, so I’ll just skip that part.
I think I’m just gonna stick to the name “papaw”
Dear Papaw, Saying Goodbye is never an easy thing to do. Especially when the person you’re saying goodbye to is you. Look at all the people who are here with us during this time because of the impact you made on their lives at some point.
It’s weird to think you lived a whole life before us grandkids were a part of it, but it’s comforting to know that the life you lived was filled with nothing but pure joy, (and a lot of beer), but it’s even more weird to think I’ll have a whole life without you in it.
The hole in our heart that we are all feeling will no doubt be filled with the memories we shared, and that’s what’s important. We are not here to celebrate the ending of this chapter, we are here to celebrate the main character of the story….you.
I know I speak for all of us when I say that you were the most upbeat, hardworking, and devoted person I knew, even through your toughest times you were able to make one, if not all of us smile by cracking your jokes or flashing that goofy smile you somehow always had.
I know we all have friends in low places, but i’d like you to know that you’re my best one. Papaw, the only thing I know how to say right now is “Thank you.”
Thank you for the hugs, laughs, memories, and most importantly, the meaning of unconditional love. From a heart half as great as yours, I love you, and I’ll miss you more than I can put into words.
Sincerely
Your granddaughter,
Meiara Grace Schaefer
So sorry for your loss. What a great life filled with precious memories! It still is painful for those still here. May God provide His peace, strength and comfort. You have so much support and love surrounding you here. Please remember that !
Ruth and Family I’m so very sorry for your loss. Sending hugs,prayers,and sympathy. Sue Kavanaugh and Family
So many good memories so many good thoughts. John will be missed more than I can say. Thank God for all the good times. All the fun years he shared his pool with friends. He always made sure everybody had what they wanted. I promise you John we will take good care of Ruth.
Our condolences on your loss. Many fond memories of John as a teammate on Walsh Bros softball team.