Carolyn Dodds Schaeffer, age 78, of Ballwin, Missouri, passed away on December 14, 2025.

Carolyn was born on January 18, 1947, in St. Louis, Missouri, to Albert R. Dodds and Elizabeth R. Dodds. She spent her life rooted in the St. Louis area, where she built a meaningful career, raised her family, and formed lasting connections with students, colleagues, friends, and loved ones.

Carolyn dedicated her professional life to education, serving as a mathematics teacher at Parkway West High School, REBOS, and the Special School District. She was a graduate of McKendree University and was deeply committed to her students, taking pride in helping young people learn, grow, and gain confidence in themselves. Teaching was not simply a career for her, but a calling.

In addition to her work as an educator, Carolyn was an accomplished genealogist with a particular passion for German genealogy. She enjoyed researching family history, solving puzzles, and collecting antiques. She was also a devoted St. Louis Cardinals fan and had a great love for animals, holidays, and time spent with family and friends.

Carolyn developed a love of music at a young age and played the piano throughout her life. From childhood through her final years, the piano remained a constant source of joy and expression for her. She also enjoyed writing her own music, composing pieces that reflected her creativity and love of the instrument.

A woman of faith, Carolyn was a Christian who valued service, learning, and family. She will be remembered as kind, intelligent, determined, and deeply devoted to her family. She took great joy in her children and grandchildren and cherished time spent with them.
She is survived by her daughter, Christine (Matt) Lutz, and her children, Mia and Nolan; her son, Tim Schaeffer, and his children, Jacob and Brooke; and her sisters, Pam Selbert and Jill Dodds. She was preceded in death by her parents and her sisters, Sandy Lewis and Debbie Stine.

Visitation will be held on January 10, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., followed by a funeral service at 10:00 a.m., at EverTrue Meramec Bluffs Chapel in Ballwin, Missouri. Burial will follow at Bellefontaine Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the St. Louis Genealogical Society or Stray Rescue of St. Louis .

Carolyn will be remembered for her kindness, devotion to family, and the many lives she touched as a teacher and mother.

As a service of the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.