Carolyn Strandberg

Carolyn Leslie (Chapin) Strandberg, 66, of Scottsdale, AZ, gracefully passed away on October 18, 2024, while in the loving care of Hospice of the Valley. 

Carolyn was born on June 15, 1958, in Rapid City, SD to the late Meryl Carolyn (Schmidt) Chapin and John N. “Jack” Chapin. She attended New Trier West High School in Northfield, IL where she was involved in theater, dance, choir, cheerleading, Pom, synchronized swimming and worked with special needs children as a summer camp counselor. Her education continued at Miami University in Oxford, OH where she earned a degree in special education. She served as chapter president of Miami’s Delta Delta Delta sorority and was a member of Omicron Delta Kappa honor society. After graduating in 1980, Carolyn continued to serve Tri-Delta working as a traveling field secretary. Soon after, she proudly worked alongside her father at Coopers & Lybrand in Chicago. Her organizational skills and attention to detail made her a perfect fit for office manager/administration roles at Sonnenschein, Carlin, Nath and Rosenthal (Chicago), Van Cott, Bagley, Cornwall and McCarthy (Salt Lake City), and Peshkin & Kotalik (Phoenix). 

Carolyn met her husband, Peter, on a blind date in Chicago and they later began married life in Salt Lake City where they were blessed with the birth of their son John “Jack” Leslie Strandberg. Alison Chapin Strandberg (Sean Lipski) completed their family after they relocated to Scottsdale. Carolyn is also survived by her sister Sharon Chapin (Bill) Crist of Lewes, DE, niece Taylor Crist (Rimantas) Valavicius of Aspen, CO, and nephew Will Crist of Lewes, DE. 

Throughout her life, Carolyn’s activities and interests revolved around her love of music and philanthropy. She served as a soloist in the choir at Winnetka Presbyterian Church and belonged to Young Life and its Campaigners Bible Study. Carolyn held a myriad of leadership roles, including President of the Junior League of Phoenix and executive board member of the National Charity League Scottsdale Chapter. Other affiliations included North Central Parenting Group, Boys Team Charity and the Junior League of Chicago. 

Carolyn surrounded herself with the love and support of cherished friends from her many affiliations. Her family, friends and the organizations she served provided Carolyn with tremendous joy and fulfillment. 

Please join Carolyn’s family and friends in the celebration of her life on Saturday, Nov. 23, from 1-3 p.m. at the Phoenix Country Club, 2901 N. 7th St., Phoenix. Feel free to express yourself in any color other than black, as this was Carolyn’s wish.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) in memory of Carolyn Chapin Strandberg, online at www.ocrahope.org or by mail to OCRA, P.O. Box 32141, New York, NY 10087-2141.