Dorothy Schafer Obituary

Dorothy Whittemore Schafer CHARLESTON - Dorothy Whittemore Schafer passed away peacefully at her home in Charleston, South Carolina on April 26. She was 85. Born August 4, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio, "Dee" was the daughter of John Knight Whittemore and Florence Augusta Hoskins Whittemore. She grew up in Wesley Hills, MA and Shaker Heights, OH. Dee graduated from Hathaway Brown and attended Skidmore College. While Dee was a student at Hathaway Brown, she met her future husband of 64 years, Robert King Schafer, who says that after their first date, "I just assumed we'd get married." Together, they had two daughters, Elizabeth King Schafer and the late Margaret MacGillivray Schafer-Gallin. Her son-in-law is Joseph Gallin, and her grandchildren are Alexandra King Gallin and Matthew MacGillivray Gallin. Dee is also survived by her siblings, Elizabeth Stewart (William) and John Whittemore (Victoria Smith), nieces, Kimberly Cutter (Till Osterland) and Amanda Cutter Brooks (Christopher) and nephews, Gilbert Schafer (Courtney) and Julian Schafer. Known for her vibrant spirit, wit and boundless energy, Dee dedicated herself to volunteer work throughout her life. She served as President of the Women's Council at the Cleveland Museum of Art and was a board member of both the Holden Arboretum and the Cleveland Botanical Garden. She was also a member of the Union Club of Cleveland, OH, the Kirtland Country Club, the Rolling Rock Club in Ligonier, PA, the Kiawah Island Club and the Deep Springs Trout Club. In 1987, Dee and Bob moved to Kiawah Island, SC, where she remained active in the community, serving on the Architecture Review Board and supporting the work of the Nature Conservancy. Her passion for the arts and nature, along with her unwavering support for her family, will be profoundly missed by all who knew her. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Bishop Gadsden Student Scholarship Fund, the Cleveland Museum of Art, or Hathaway Brown Margaret Schafer Gallin Fund.