Jennifer Suzanne Schafer

It is with great sadness that we announce that Jennifer Suzanne Schafer, of Englewood Colorado, passed away on November 14, 2022, at the far-too-young age of 32. Jennifer is survived by her parents, John and Allison Schafer, of Cary, North Carolina; her brother Eric Schafer and his wife, Erica Kakarlamudi, of Richmond, Virginia; her many aunts, uncles, cousins, and other friends and family, and her beloved cat, Brisbane, all of whom loved her dearly. Jennifer grew up in Cary, North Carolina. From childhood, she was a brilliant and gifted student. She attended the University of Chicago where she earned a joint degree in political science and international studies, graduating with honors in 2009 after only three years. Upon graduation, she was inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Society. She earned a Master’s Degree in International Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science in 2015 and a Master’s Degree in Taxation from the University of Denver in 2019. In her short life, Jennifer traveled widely and lived in many parts of the world. She spent a gap year between high school and college living and working in Guangzhou, China. She worked in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for a year following her graduation from college. She lived in London while pursuing her graduate studies there. During summers and other breaks from school she lived in Athens, Greece; Patagonia, Chile; and Sydney, Australia. While living abroad she traveled extensively in Asia, South America, Europe and Australia. She particularly loved her visits to Hong Kong, China and Istanbul, Turkey. Jennifer settled in the Denver area in 2019, falling in love with the area and making it her permanent home. She chose a career in sales, most recently in real estate. She loved spending time in the Rocky Mountains and reveled in the peace those trips brought her. She delighted in the fact that she had a view of the mountains from her home in Englewood. Jennifer will be remembered for her incredible intellect, her wit, her elegant demeanor, her beauty, her beaming smile, and her infectious laugh. She will be deeply missed. Jennifer inherited her artistic and writing talents from her maternal grandmother, Paula Brown, who was a gifted poet. It is a fitting tribute, in our sorrow, to share a poem that her grandmother wrote long before Jennifer was born: To A Sixteen Year Old From Her Mother My child, I cannot pull you back from every open window; There is no one alive, Or ever was, Who could do that – Beyond yourself. There always will be windows opening Upon the grief, The guilt, The burden of ourselves, In our despair. It is a long-still time to sleep forever, Lying down beyond the window On the air. And It would not only be You There. Paula Brown, 1974. Rest in Peace, Little One.