Cleo “Cee” Schacker (nee Brenner) passed away in Bellingham, WA on September 29th, 2024.
Cee was born in Newburgh, NY. Growing up, she would play in the countryside with her brothers, riding ponies and exploring nearby farms. She attended school in Washingtonville, NY most of her early life, where she met her lifelong friend Norma, was a member of almost every school club, and graduated from Washingtonville High School in 1959. She loved roller skating and Elvis. After graduation, she went to college at Orange County Community College and State University of New York, New Paltz, earning a degree in Liberal Arts and a teaching certificate. She became a 6th grade Social Studies teacher after college and taught for several years in New York.
Her daughter, Terri, was born in 1962, and after her divorce, she raised her as a single parent until she met her second husband, Ted. Being an Air Force family, they traveled to Japan for several years, where she became a teacher for the Department of Defense, got to visit Taiwan and Hong Kong and learned to ride a motorcycle and cook local foods. She and Ted threw great dinner parties, loved to make steak fondue and hang out at the Officer’s Club with friends. She held down the fort while he was away on TDYs, enabling him to excel in his military career.
Returning to the United States, Cee earned an additional two degrees, Masters in Education and Science. She moved from teaching to school counselor, working for many years for the Las Vegas School District, and Nevada Bureau of Prisons, before moving to Whidbey Island in 1993, a place she and Ted loved and visited for many summers. She worked as a school counselor for Oak Harbor School District until 2003, when she retired.
She became a Master Gardener, and was a member of the Whidbey Island Garden Club, as well as doing volunteer work on the island. She enjoyed her Bunko group, going to Goldwing meetings with Ted and working in her garden. She excelled at word puzzles, loved listening to books and crushed playing Scrabble.
She and Ted were married for 55 years. In their later years, she was an excellent caregiver to Ted, helping him through many operations and health issues. Her motto became “No Home Cooking” as she preferred to go out and spend time with family and friends. She was known in the family for her wicked funny zingers which would make everyone laugh and her rice and bread puddings, one of the few exceptions to NO home cooking. She loved celebrating birthdays, not just her own, as long as they were celebrated at the Olive Garden. Christmas was her favorite time of year and she loved to decorate for the holiday with help from her grandchildren and great grandchild and hosted many holiday parties at the Morris Farm and at home.
She is survived by her daughter, Terri, grandchildren, Diana and Lara and husband, Hunter, sister and brother, Frances and William, sister in law, Christine and stepchildren, Edward, Curtis and Victoria. Cee is missed and will always be in our memories. She will be interred with Ted at Tahoma National Cemetery. In her memory, please donate to WAIF in lieu of flowers.
