Vernon Herbert Schaefer ("Vern") passed away peacefully on November 27, 2023. He was 92. Vern was born in Chicago Illinois in 1931. He graduated in 1952 from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. He went on to get his PhD in Psychology at the University of Illinois in Champaign Urbana. After getting his PhD, Vern served in the US Army from 1957-1959 achieving the rank of First Lieutenant. Vern started his teaching career as a professor of psychology at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas. He later taught at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and MacMurray College in Jacksonville, Illinois before taking a chaired position at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario Canada in 1969 where he was a professor until his retirement in 1996.

Vern lived in Waterloo until February of 2023 when he moved to Broadmead Retirement Community in Cockeysville, Maryland to be closer to his son and his family. Vern travelled extensively and had an eclectic collection of artwork and memorabilia from around the world. He enjoyed gardening and building things in his shop. He was an animal lover who had a variety of pets throughout his life. In his later years Vern was never far from his beloved dog, Duffy, and later Danny. Vern is survived by his brother William Schaefer and his wife Jolene, his daughter Elisabeth Irwin and her husband Dennis, his son Jed Schaefer and his wife Cathy, his stepson Steve Holditch, his stepdaughters Heather Huluk and Michelle Godden. Vern is also survived by his grandchildren, Ben Irwin, Chris Irwin, Alec Schaefer, Isabel Schaefer, and  his chocolate brown standard poodle Danny.

All services will be private.