Jeff Manfred Fritz Schroeder

A beloved father, son, and uncle.

Jeff Schroeder, 63, passed away on September 29, 2025, in Tempe, Arizona. He was born on March 31, 1962, in Irvington, New Jersey, to Erika and Manfred Fritz Schroeder. Jeff was the oldest of three and shared many fond childhood memories with his younger brothers, Kevin and Keith. Together, Jeff, Kevin, and Keith grew up as first-generation German Americans, raised with strong values of hard work and resilience.

Jeff was a beloved son, brother, and a devoted father to his two daughters, Haylee and Taylor.

In his early 20s, Jeff packed up his belongings and drove cross-country to California, where he lived in the Bay Area for about 15 years. He later spent a short time in New Mexico with his family before settling in Arizona, where he enjoyed the dry heat and sunny weather for the remainder of his life.

Taking after his father, Jeff became a dedicated machinist and mold maker, most recently working at Quality Mold in Chandler, Arizona. He also ran his own home inspection business, Dry Heat Home Inspection, for many years before returning to his love of machining in recent years.

When he wasn’t working, Jeff was an avid NHRA enthusiast. He spent many days at the races, beginning in his teen years at Englishtown Raceway in New Jersey, then Pomona Raceway in California, and finally Firebird Raceway in Arizona, among others. He often brought Haylee and Taylor to the races when they were children and proudly hung framed photos of them with drivers in his office. His passion extended to his own garage, where he could often be found working on his beloved red truck (and fixing his daughters’ cars), with the radio blasting his favorite classic rock tunes.

Loved ones will remember Jeff’s sense of humor, always cracking jokes and recalling childhood pranks played with his brothers and friends. He will be remembered as hardworking, organized, timely, reliable, and loving.

The weekend before his passing, he spent time surrounded by family and friends in New Jersey and spread his mother’s ashes in the Poconos. He took some trips down memory lane and ended the weekend with a barbecue full of laughs and fireworks. 

Jeff is survived by his daughters Haylee Renee Schroeder & Taylor Lynn Schroeder; nieces and nephews James Ryan Schroeder, Patricia Ann Casellini DeHaven, Cecilia Marie Schroeder, McKenzie Grace Schroeder, and Sean Patrick Schroeder. Jeff was predeceased by his brothers Kevin Bruce Schroeder and Keith Roger Schroeder; and his parents Erika Metzler and Manfred Fritz Schroeder. 

A celebration of life was held for Jeff on November 15, 2025, in Phoenix, AZ, where we gathered with his friends, family, and coworkers, and shared in memories, stories and love for Jeff. 

Click over to the mementos section to see photos from Jeff's life.