Jill Ann Schaeffer (nee McClory)

Schaeffer, Jill Ann (nee McClory), passed away, Saturday, October 17, 2026.

Loving wife of Jim Schaeffer. Beloved daughter of George and Barbara McClory. Dear sister of Jeff (Lisa) McClory and the late Susan Brown. Daughter-in-law of Gloria Schaeffer and the late Gary Schaeffer. Sister-in-law of Debbie (Steve) England and Janet (Greg) Kutey. Aunt of Jeffrey Jr. and Jacob McClory; Melanie (Jeff) Wittorf, Sean (Christina) England, Mitchell (Kimmy) England, Riley England, Sheila (Ozzey) Escalante, Rianna England, Collin (Kenzie) England, Garrett England, John Paul England, Maeve England, Lillian England, Jamie (Ted) Goltzman, Luke Kutey, Sydney Kutey and Kate Kutey. Great-aunt, cousin and friend to many.

Jill grew up in the Chicago area until the age of 13, when her family moved to Chesterfield, Missouri. She graduated from Lafayette High School in Wildwood in 1984 and attended the University of Missouri for two years before returning to Chesterfield, where she met her future husband, Jim.

Jill and Jim were married in 1992 and made their first home in O'Fallon, Missouri. A job promotion for Jim took them to Aurora, Illinois, in 1997, where they built a life for more than two decades. Another job opportunity led Jill and Jim to Woodbury, Minnesota in 2019, but they returned to Wildwood in 2021.

Jill built a successful career in collections, beginning with May Company in the 1990s. In Aurora she became a supervisor at First Chicago Bank (later Chase), and in 2003 she joined Pellettieri & Associates, Ltd. as Director. She later joined Nationwide Credit & Collection, where she served as Director of Human Resources, a role she held with pride until the final week of her life.

Jill's greatest joy was in bringing people together. She was a gourmet cook and loved to entertain, and her home was always a place where friends and family felt welcome. She enjoyed an occasional round of golf and she and Jim traveled often, spending many weekends exploring new places on their motorcycle. Their travels took them far and wide, from Alaska to Greece. She had a special affinity for the family lake house at Crooked Lake and her mother-in-law’s home in Fort Myers, FL. Wherever she went, Jill had a gift for turning strangers into friends, and many of her lifelong friendships began with a brief first encounter. Above all, family was always her top priority.

Though she had no children of her own, Jill was the favorite aunt to 17 nieces and nephews, who lovingly called her "A.J." (Aunt Jill), and a great-aunt to 12. She adored them as much as they adored her.

Jill touched and impacted countless people throughout her life, and she will be deeply missed by all whose lives were brightened by the sunshine in her smile and her soul.

Services: Funeral Mass at Ascension Catholic Church, Chesterfield, Friday, October 30, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Interment St. Charles Memorial Gardens. Visitation at the SCHRADER Funeral Home and Crematory, 14960 Manchester Road at Holloway, Ballwin, Thursday, October 29, 2026 from 3-8 p.m. Friends may sign the family's on-line guestbook at Schrader.com.