Mary Catherine Schaaf (nee Sullivan), age 85, of Fairview Heights, IL, born November 12, 1940 in E. St. Louis, IL, died on Saturday, July 11, 2026 at St. Paul’s Home in Belleville, IL.
Mary was a loving daughter, wife, mother, and all-around caregiver of others. She grew up in E. St. Louis, IL and was a life-long, devout Catholic. She attended St. Patrick’s Catholic Church and School. She graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1958. After graduation, she went to work as a secretary at Edison Brothers, and spent her free time as a member of the Cathedral Club at the “new” Cathedral in St. Louis. It was through the Cathedral Club that she met the love of her life, Larry Schaaf. They were married for 57 years, and were an example of a loving marriage for all who knew them.
Mary decided to be a stay-at-home mom, and just 5 short years after marrying Larry, her mother and aunt moved in with them and their two toddlers. Mary cared for her mother, maternal aunts, and her mother-in-law when they could no longer care for themselves. She was always prepared for there to be someone extra at the kitchen table at dinnertime. Sometimes it was a friend of one of her children, or a neighbor, or a deaf child living in the dormitory at Central Institute for the Deaf while attending school many miles away from home. She made sure that the Schaaf House was a welcome place. Mary had decades of “practice grandparenting” before she officially became a grandmother. Often helping watch neighborhood children, friends’ children and grandchildren, and her own godchildren.
Mary was a member of St. Philip’s Catholic Parish in E. St. Louis, IL before moving to St. Albert the Great (now Holy Trinity) Parish in Fairview Heights, IL.
The family would like to thank the staff of St. Paul’s for their care of Mary for the past several months, as well as the staff of Hospice of Southern Illinois for their care and support.
Mary is preceded in death by her loving husband, Lawrence F. Schaaf, Jr, her parents, Joseph and Eileen Sullivan, her sister and brother-in-law, Eileen (Patricia) and Edwin Handel, her cousin, Mary Paxton, and her best friends, Mary Jean (Jeanie) Long and Nancy Powers. She is survived by her children, Kevin Schaaf, Karen Schaaf, Tim (Kelly) Schaaf, her grandsons, Dalton, Wyatt, and Greyson, her niece, Kathy Handel, and nephew, Tom (Pam) Handel, great nephews, great-grandnieces, godchildren, surrogate grandchildren, and her beloved dog, Sully.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Speak Rescue and Sanctuary or St. John’s Community Care in Collinsville. Visitation will be at Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Fairview Heights, IL on Saturday, July 18, 2026 from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. A Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 am with Fr. Carl Schrage, presiding. Burial will be at Mt. Carmel Catholic Cemetery in Belleville, IL.
