Nancy Carole Schaefer, 74, passed away at her home in Princeton on September 1, 2019, after a period of illness, in the company of her loving family.

Nancy was born in Newark, NJ on February 1, 1945, the only daughter of James and Margaret Schaefer. She grew up in Plainfield, NJ, attended the Hartridge High School, and graduated from Marymount University in Tarrytown, NY, with a BA in English in 1967.

She then attended the USC Film School to train as a sound recordist.  She pursued a career in the film industry for several years, working on commercials, documentaries (including one in Nigeria and another in Zimbabwe), a feature film by an African-American production company, and on Frank Zappa's film 200 Motels.

She moved to Princeton in 1976 to be married, and followed her media interests with work in publishing before becoming a mother in 1983.   Around 1990 she began teaching art to incarcerated teens, first in programs funded by NJ State grants, and later as a full-time teacher at the NJ Training School near Jamesburg.   Her last, ongoing, project is a documentary on Princeton sculptor Bob Jenkins.

Nancy was a devout and lifelong Catholic, and for several decades attended services at the Aquinas Institute as well as St. Paul's Church in Princeton.

Nancy is survived by Kirk McDonald, her husband of 43 years; her two children, Alex McDonald and Owen Schaefer; and two grandchildren, Han and Rei Schaefer.

A Memorial Mass will be held at the Princeton University Chapel, 2 pm, Friday, Sept. 20, followed by a reception, 3:30-6:00 pm, at Prospect House (University Faculty Club).  Her ashes will be interred at 11 am, Saturday, September 21, in the St. Anthony Mausoleum of the Holy Cross Burial Park, Jamesburg, NJ.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Nancy Carole Schaefer fund of the Arts Council of Princeton, http://artscouncilofprinceton.org/donate/support-acp/special-funds-memorial-gifts/