David George Schaeffer

Obituary For David George Schaeffer

David George Schaeffer, 83, retired professor of Mathematics at Duke University, died March 20 at the Carol Woods Retirement Community in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 6 months after diagnosis of an aggressive brain tumor. The third son of John R. and Gertrude M. (Bedard) Schaeffer, he was born Oct. 6, 1942 in Cincinnati, Ohio. David is survived by his wife Peggy, his daughter Rebecca and her wife Lindsay Wieczorek, stepdaughter Samira Wellemeyer and son-in-law Greg, and their children Winnie and Desmond. He is also survived by his brothers Richard, Andrew, and Jack Schaeffer, and sisters Gretchen Simons and Kitty McIntyre.

David’s life passions were mathematics, sailing, travel, and many outdoor activities. After his BS at the Univ. of Illinois and his PhD at MIT, he came to Duke University in 1978, and was named the James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Mathematics in 1990. He worked on various aspects of differential equations, including applications to granular flow and generation of cardiac rhythms. He sought out challenging mathematical problems from Duke faculty in other fields and incorporated them in his graduate courses, enabling students to work on real world applications. Upon retirement he devoted the next years to co-writing a textbook, Ordinary Differential Equations: Basics and Beyond.

Friends and family were largely in awe of David’s life-long devotion to his mathematical pursuits; for him, his work was endlessly absorbing. The highlight of his last summer was the enjoyable and productive time spent working with his collaborators at the Univ. of Manchester, England.

David enjoyed traveling and living around the world, especially spending several months teaching and working with collaborators in Japan, New Zealand, the UK, and Spain. Other destinations included a recent February trip to Hudson Bay, Canada, to see the aurora, as well as sailing voyages in the Mediterranean, Caribbean, British Columbia, and Australia, many walking trips in the UK, Canada, and Spain, and naturalist journeys to Alaska, Botswana, South Africa, and the Galapagos.

Peggy and Rebecca are deeply grateful for all the support from friends and family, and for the compassionate and attentive care David received from the fine people at the University of North Carolina Health Care, the UNC Hospice team, and the Carol Woods Health Center.

A memorial service is planned for June. Donations in his memory may be made to the Eno River Association in Durham, NC.

Donation link: https://form-renderer-app.donorperfect.io/give/eno-river-association/tributegift

The family requests no flowers.

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