Virginia (Ginny) Marie Schroeder, 79, passed away in peace on April 26, 2024 in Arvada, Colorado. She was born in Missoula, Montana, the daughter of Clifton E. and June Emerson McClain of Alberton, MT. She kept the Big Sky country in her heart no matter where she was. She is survived by her loving husband, David Schroeder; her sons Bradley (Brad) Sayer (Jill) of Mt. Juliet, TN and Eric Sayer (Paula) of Colorado Springs, CO; her stepsons Steven (Steve) Schroeder of St. Louis, MO and Eric Schroeder of Colorado Springs; and grandchildren Morgan Gieck, Jace Sayer, Brylee Sayer, Cameren Schroeder, Aaron Schroeder and Quentin Schroeder. She was preceded in death by her first husband, Richard Sayer and her brother, Gene McClain.
Ginny graduated with a B.S. from the University of Montana and began her teaching career in Tehachapi, CA. Upon moving to Colorado Springs in 1968, she continued teaching, first as a substitute in the Colorado Springs area, later with the Board of Cooperative Services in rural areas in eastern El Paso County. The family moved to the Black Forest, where she participated in a cooperative preschool with neighbors. She was hired as a teacher at Black Forest Elementary, later teaching at Challenger Middle School. Eventually she moved into administration.
She obtained her administrative credentials by earning a Masters degree in Southwest Studies at Colorado College, followed by her principal’s endorsement through Denver University. She served as an Assistant Principal at Canon City MIddle School and at Lewis-Palmer Middle School before marrying David Schroeder. They moved to New Castle, CO where she was the principal at Glenwood Springs Middle School.
Shortly after retiring from the school system, she became Board President of the Literacy Outreach program in the Roaring Fork and Colorado rivers area. Ginny volunteered for multiple medical studies at the University of Colorado Anschutz Campus including for Alzheimer’s Disease, sleep studies, and finally a randomized clinical trial of a promising sarcoma drug.
She played Mah Jong and cribbage, and piloted glider planes, She golfed, and was an avid tennis player. As a hiker she climbed several fourteeners, including Mt. Elbert, Colorado’s highest. She was walking 2 to 5 miles a day even a month before her passing. She was a lifelong learner and a world traveler, including Australia, Botswana, Canada, China, Costa Rica, England, France, the Galapagos, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, Russia, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia.
Who knows how many hundreds of middle school children and adult reading learners benefitted from her time and talents? Her loving family and friends will miss her dearly.
Donations in her memory may be made to: The Sarcoma Foundation of America. Please click on the link below or mail donations to 9899 Main St., Ste 204, Damascus, MD 20872
To order
memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Virginia Marie Schroeder (Sayer), please visit our
flower store.