Carolyn M LeBeau

Carolyn Maria LeBeau (nee Sanromá), age 92, of Scottsdale, AZ passed into eternal life on Friday, May 9, 2025. She died as she lived, with the desire to see her Lord Jesus Christ on her lips and in her heart, and with her husband of 67 years and her family close by.

Carolyn was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 4, 1933 to John and Maude Sanromá, and grew up with her three brothers, John (deceased), Paul (deceased) and Joseph, in a home bustling with classical music (Carolyn’s uncle was a world famous pianist) and many visitors.

Carolyn’s joyous and bubbling personality was evident early on, as was her deep and abiding Catholic Faith. She often recounted her beloved father telling her as a young child on the footsteps of her local church that all men and women are born

with the reality of death as their destiny and that only an eternal perspective would make sense of life’s joys and sorrows.

In addition to playing the violin, Carolyn became a certified Red Cross swimming instructor and lifeguard, teaching many young people to swim at the nearby Crystal Lake in Newton, MA.

Carolyn attended Regis College and received her degree in Home Economics, specializing in sewing and becoming an accomplished seamstress.

After teaching high school, Carolyn attended graduate school (rare for a woman of that time) and received her Master’s Degree from Boston College in Psychology. It was during this time that she met the love of her life, Edward LeBeau, a Harvard law student.

Carolyn and Ed were married on June 15, 1957 in Sacred Heart Catholic Church in her hometown of Newton, upon Carolyn’s graduation from Boston College and Ed’s graduation from Harvard Law School.

After a whirlwind weekend honeymoon on Cape Cod, Ed intrepidly drove his new bride across county with their few possessions to Phoenix, AZ. Carolyn immediately realized that 1957 Phoenix was not urbane Boston, but she persevered and came to love her new home and life in the desert.

Carolyn quickly embraced her life as wife and mother, welcoming six children: Melinda (Nikolas), Christopher (Jeanne), David (Madeline), Paula (Alan), Carol (Jay) and James (Lauren). Carolyn relished being a mother, grandmother (25 beloved grandkids) and great grandmother (36 and counting). She loved them all with a great warmth and a generous heart.

Carolyn’s gifts of teaching and counseling were made manifest to her children and grandchildren, by encouraging music, books, and each child’s specific interests and talents, whether it was love of gardening or animals, fashion, science, travel, or tearing apart and rebuilding engines.

But, most of all, Carolyn encouraged and modeled for her children and grandchildren her abiding faith and love of Jesus Christ, whether in the sacraments of the Catholic Church or the praise and worship of her beloved City of the Lord Catholic Community, which was second only to her love of God and family.

In her life in the City of the Lord Community, Carolyn used her keen mind and her warm and generous gifts of hospitality and counsel to encourage and support others in their love of Christ Jesus. Her love and willingness to share her wisdom with women in their relationships with God or their families and others had a profound and lasting impact.

In her last years, as her health declined, she was comforted by her love of Christ, her faithful husband Ed, the constant love and care by her daughters, sons, daughters in law and sons in law, and her large and loving flock of grandchildren.

Teacher to the end, she would in her last days recite the scriptural passage: “if today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Her last words were “I want to be with Jesus.” She will be greatly missed, but we are comforted knowing we have an intercessor praying for us.