WINDHAM, ME – Gwen Kathleen (Shoemaker) Schaiberger died on February 2, 2026, the day
after her seventy-eighth birthday, at her home following a long illness.
Gwen was born in West Branch, MI, on February 1, 1948, the oldest child of Jack and Hope Shoemaker. After graduating from high school, she attended Central Michigan University and later earned bachelor’s degrees in art and education from Michigan State University. She married her husband, Chris, in 1969, and together they raised three children.
Gwen was an accomplished artist who worked across many mediums, including pottery, oil painting, knitting, quilting, and sewing. She loved being active—tennis, skiing, swimming, kayaking, and sailing—and was an avid reader who found joy outdoors gardening, hiking, biking, camping, and walking her many beloved dogs. Above all, Gwen cherished time spent
with her husband, children, and grandchildren.
Gwen is survived by her husband of fifty-seven years, Chris; her children, Scott Schaiberger of Portland, ME, Ryan Schaiberger and his wife, Magen, of Swampscott, MA, and Brooke Schaiberger and her partner, Tim Dixon, of New York, NY; her grandchildren, Reese and Banner, of Swampscott, MA; and many family members and friends across the country.
Condolences may be shared online at mainefuneral.com. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Southern Maine, 180 Route 1, Scarborough, ME, 04074, in gratitude for their compassionate support during Gwen’s final years
Arrangements have been entrusted to Chad E. Poitras Cremation and Funeral Service, Buxton, www.mainefuneral.com