Carlene Kacere

Carlene Kacere passed away on September 23, 2026, at the age of 87. Some people make their presence known loudly. Mom was different. She was a constant—familiar, reliable, and simply there. For her children and grandchildren, her presence became part of what home and family felt like. She showed her love in ordinary, practical ways: cooking a meal, giving a ride, helping when someone needed her, joining a family gathering, or simply being available. It was a quiet kind of presence that was easy to count on because it had always been there.

Born August 29, 1939, Mom was the seventh of ten children and grew up in Oklahoma, a place she loved throughout her life. Summers in Oklahoma became part of my childhood as well—time spent with cousins and extended family, homegrown food, fireflies, fireworks, dirt roads, and all the simple pleasures that came with returning to the place she considered home. She deeply loved her family and, having outlived all nine of her siblings, carried those connections and memories with her until the end of her life.

That same love of family extended naturally to her grandchildren. Grandma was there. She cooked for them, drove them to and from school, played games, went places with them, and enjoyed simply having them around. As the grandchildren grew up and built lives of their own, she remained deeply interested in them and treasured the times when everyone came home again.

She loved Christmas perhaps most of all. There was something almost childlike about her excitement for the holidays. Her tree went up early, and she could spend hours making sure it was balanced and beautiful. She loved the decorations, the traditions, the food, and most importantly, having family together.

Mom worked hard throughout her life. During her years at Hogue Printing, Inc., in Mesa, Arizona, she was valued by the people she worked with. Later, through Home Instead, she cared for people who needed assistance in their own homes. Those relationships frequently became personal. The people she cared for grew attached to her, and she to them; many became, in her mind and heart, part of the family.

Perhaps that was the thread running through so much of her life. Mom wanted to be useful. She wanted to be included. She wanted to matter to the people she loved, and she found meaning in being there for them.

Looking back, it is difficult to separate Mom from the ordinary landscape of our lives because she was woven so thoroughly into it. She wasn't someone who needed to be the center of attention.

She was simply Mom, and then Grandma—steady, familiar, sometimes quirky, often funny, hardworking, and present. Only now do we fully understand how much comfort there was in knowing she was there.

She is survived by her son, Richard; her daughter, Lisa; and her grandchildren, Cole, Erik, Heather, and Ian. She was preceded in death by her parents, Ella and John Pruitt; her husband, Thomas Kacere; and her nine siblings.

A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, November 21, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, Arizona 85018.