Richard Edward Schaefer, age 77, a resident of West Chicago, Illinois, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, surrounded by his family. He was born on February 15, 1948, in Oak Park, Illinois to Jacob and Mildred Schaefer.

His faith was central to his life. He dutifully served God and his church by giving his time and energy to ministries and mission trips.

Rich proudly dedicated himself to the Addison Police Department from 1970 to 1998 when he retired as a sergeant. He was well respected for his integrity, hard work, and unwavering commitment to protecting and serving his community.

Rich was known for his big heart, goofy sense of humor, and deep love for his family. As a man of many interests, Rich had a passion for collecting unique treasures, each with its own story, and took joy in sharing those collections with his family and friends. One of his great passions in life was spending time at his farm. The farm was more to him than land, it was a place of connection, joy, and countless memories. He loved sharing the beauty and peace of the farm with his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Karen; his children, Scott (Patricia) Schaefer, Kevin (Claudia) Schaefer, Jennifer (Bradley) Reif; and Kaitlin (Sean Patrick) Schaefer, his grandchildren: Kaden and Avery Reif; Colton and Kenzie Schaefer; and Corbin Schaefer; along with his sister Cheryl (George "Duf") Sundheim. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Lawrence J. Schaefer.

A visitation will be held at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, 155 N. Prince Crossing Road, West Chicago, IL 60185, on Monday, October 6, 2025. Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. immediately followed by an 11:00 a.m. service. Interment will follow at Wheaton Cemetery in Wheaton, Illinois.

Memorial gifts may be directed to St. Andrew Lutheran Church .

Family and friends may sign a guest book at hultgrenfh.com. For more information, please call Hultgren Funeral Home at (630) 668-0027.