Carolana G. Sandoval

It is with deep sorrow that we announce the passing of Carolana Gonzales Sandoval, on September 2, 2026, at the age of 64. Born on September 10, 1961, In Tempe, AZ, to loving parents Ana Marie and Samuel Gonzales. Carolana was preceded in death by her daughter Evonne Gonzales Madrigal who passed in infancy and parents Samuel and Ana Marie Gonzales. She was a beautiful light in this world, and her loss has left a space in our hearts that can never be filled.

If you knew Carol, you knew her laughter. You knew her warmth. You knew how loud she could be and how she didn’t care what anyone thought about it. You knew that no matter where she was or what kind of day you were having, she had a way of making things feel a little brighter. She was the light in the room. She didn’t have to try to be—she simply was.

Carol spent more than 30 years working at Longview Elementary School as an administrative assistant, a job that became so much more than a career. She poured her heart into the students, families, teachers, and staff she encountered throughout those years. She was loved and adored by so many because she treated everyone with kindness, patience, and genuine care. She remembered people, she listened to them, she laughed with them, and she made them feel important. To the many lives she touched, she was not simply the school “Office lady”—she was someone families could count on.

But to us, she was so much more.

She was our mom. She was the person whose love made a house feel like home. She was the laughter in our family, the heart that brought people together, and the person whose love could be felt in the smallest of moments. Her love was given freely and without hesitation, and she never needed a reason to make someone feel special.

Carol shared 26 years of marriage with her beloved husband, Vidal Sandoval. Together, they built a life filled with memories, love, laughter, and the everyday moments that become the most precious ones after someone is gone.

She is survived by her husband, Vidal; her son, Nicolas Gonzales; and her beloved daughter-in-law, Georgina Gonzales. She will be missed beyond words by her family and by the countless people who were lucky enough to know her.

And, of course, Carol had another love that could never be overlooked: her Green Bay Packers. Whether they won or lost, she was a fan through and through. We can imagine her cheering them on now, probably still letting everyone know exactly what she thought of the game.

What we will miss most is not one particular thing, but everything about her—her laugh, her smile, her hugs, her voice, her stories, her humor, and the way she made people feel loved simply by being around her.

Carol, we wish we had more time. More conversations. More laughs. More ordinary days that we didn’t realize were actually the extraordinary ones.

We will carry you with us in everything we do. We will hear your laughter in our memories, feel your love in our hearts, and look for your light whenever the world feels a little darker.

You gave so much love to everyone around you. Now it is our turn to carry that love forward.

We love you, Mom. We always will.

Rest peacefully, Carol. Your light may have left the room, but it will never leave us.

A Visitation will be held Friday, September 18, 2026 from 5:00 - 8:00 pm at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, 4800 E. Indian School Road, Phoenix, AZ 85018. A Funeral Services will be held Saturday, September 19, 2026 at 11:00 am at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home. Interment will follow at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008.