Obituary for Peter Harold Schaefer
Peter Harold Schaefer passed away on October 12, 2021. He leaves behind his loving family: his younger sister, Annelies Schaefer Scheland, two sons, James Ernest and Joel Peter, his daughter-in-law Susan Scott and three granddaughters, Katarina Elise, Hannah Arielle, and Kristin Marianne. Peter is preceded in death by his parents, Ernst and Elise, as well as his wife, Marianne Holzhauser Schaefer, who passed away one year ago on September 24, 2020.
Peter had a challenging youth. He was born on March 19, 1931 in Bunzlau, Germany (now Bolesławiec, Poland) at the outset of tensions that led to World War II. He spent his formative years in Berlin, Germany where he was raised by his Lutheran mother and Jewish father. With the exception of his father, most of his Jewish family were victims of the Holocaust. While it was a dark period in history, Peter remembered the simple joys. He told stories of spying on the Russians, his mother’s cooking, the significance of oranges, and of playing “Santa'' with his sister during the Berlin airlift. In 1943 his mother took part in the Rosenstrasse protests, effectively freeing his father from being sent to a concentration camp. Peter told stories of visiting her as she protested, where he brought food for her and her fellow protestors.
On December 17, 1949, Peter and his family safely arrived in New York City on the former troop transport vessel, the “General McRay”. The trip took 10 days. Once in New York, his sister attended high school where she met her best friend – Marianne. After much pleading from Annelies, Marianne agreed to meet Peter. Peter and Marianne were married on Christmas Day in 1954 and had two sons together.
In New York, Peter attended Columbia University, graduating with a degree in economics. After studying for his naturalization exam Peter became an American citizen and formally adopted the US as his home, and he served for a short time in the US Army. Peter’s career in commodities and finance was mostly based in New York City, where he developed a fondness for this great city.
Peter passionately loved art, classical music, movies, and history. Peter blended this passion with his love for New York by telling stories about the Rockefeller family. For the last twenty years he worked at the Rockefeller Family Home, Kykuit, in Pocantico Hill, New York providing tours and sharing his knowledge and humor. He also worked at Union Church where he shared the beauty of his beloved Matisse and Chagall windows with others. He instilled a love of these places with all who would listen. He could field hundreds of questions about any artist, impressing even the most knowledgeable of visitors, all while leading a pack of eager tourists up a steep hill.
Peter raised many dogs and cats. His love and devotion to his pets was evident from bringing a single shrimp home every day from the office cafeteria for his cat, and the stockpiling of “cookies” for his neighbor’s dog.
Peter will be greatly missed by his family, neighbors, and the friends he made during his 90 years.
The Schaefer family is planning a memorial service at 2 PM, March 19th 2022 at the Union Church of Pocantico Hills https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/union-church-of-pocantico-hills/ . This will be a joint celebration of the lives of Peter and Marianne.
If you would like to remember Peter with a gift, please consider a donation to Historic Hudson Valley https://hudsonvalley.org/give-a-gift/ or install a Stolpersteine (Stepping Stones) to honor the Jews who perished in the Holocaust http://www.stolpersteine.eu/en/donations/
Peter had a challenging youth. He was born on March 19, 1931 in Bunzlau, Germany (now Bolesławiec, Poland) at the outset of tensions that led to World War II. He spent his formative years in Berlin, Germany where he was raised by his Lutheran mother and Jewish father. With the exception of his father, most of his Jewish family were victims of the Holocaust. While it was a dark period in history, Peter remembered the simple joys. He told stories of spying on the Russians, his mother’s cooking, the significance of oranges, and of playing “Santa'' with his sister during the Berlin airlift. In 1943 his mother took part in the Rosenstrasse protests, effectively freeing his father from being sent to a concentration camp. Peter told stories of visiting her as she protested, where he brought food for her and her fellow protestors.
On December 17, 1949, Peter and his family safely arrived in New York City on the former troop transport vessel, the “General McRay”. The trip took 10 days. Once in New York, his sister attended high school where she met her best friend – Marianne. After much pleading from Annelies, Marianne agreed to meet Peter. Peter and Marianne were married on Christmas Day in 1954 and had two sons together.
In New York, Peter attended Columbia University, graduating with a degree in economics. After studying for his naturalization exam Peter became an American citizen and formally adopted the US as his home, and he served for a short time in the US Army. Peter’s career in commodities and finance was mostly based in New York City, where he developed a fondness for this great city.
Peter passionately loved art, classical music, movies, and history. Peter blended this passion with his love for New York by telling stories about the Rockefeller family. For the last twenty years he worked at the Rockefeller Family Home, Kykuit, in Pocantico Hill, New York providing tours and sharing his knowledge and humor. He also worked at Union Church where he shared the beauty of his beloved Matisse and Chagall windows with others. He instilled a love of these places with all who would listen. He could field hundreds of questions about any artist, impressing even the most knowledgeable of visitors, all while leading a pack of eager tourists up a steep hill.
Peter raised many dogs and cats. His love and devotion to his pets was evident from bringing a single shrimp home every day from the office cafeteria for his cat, and the stockpiling of “cookies” for his neighbor’s dog.
Peter will be greatly missed by his family, neighbors, and the friends he made during his 90 years.
The Schaefer family is planning a memorial service at 2 PM, March 19th 2022 at the Union Church of Pocantico Hills https://hudsonvalley.org/historic-sites/union-church-of-pocantico-hills/ . This will be a joint celebration of the lives of Peter and Marianne.
If you would like to remember Peter with a gift, please consider a donation to Historic Hudson Valley https://hudsonvalley.org/give-a-gift/ or install a Stolpersteine (Stepping Stones) to honor the Jews who perished in the Holocaust http://www.stolpersteine.eu/en/donations/