In Memoriam : Carolyn Sapien
Carolyn Faye Sapien - age: 78
(January 13, 1947 to April 01, 2025 ) Resident of Exeter, California Visitation Information: Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 601 N B St, Exeter, CA 93221 with luncheon to follow. Obituary: Carolyn Faye Sapien passed away peacefully, with her family by her side, on April 1, 2025, in Exeter, California, at the age of 78. Born on January 13, 1947, in Viola, Arkansas, to Farrell & Loraine Hamilton, Carolyn was the couple's firstborn and spent the first 7 years of her childhood in Arkansas. During that time, Farrell & Loraine welcomed 2 more children, Jimmy & Roger, into the family. When Carolyn was a young girl, the family relocated from Arkansas to Susanville, a small town in Northern California. Susanville quickly became home to Carolyn as she started school and met her lifelong friends, Vicky King & Nancie Lucero. The 3 became thick as thieves and remained close throughout their lives, staying in touch, celebrating milestones, and going on trips together, visiting each other and sharing gossip & life advice on their endless phone chats over the decades. So, if you want to know all the juicy stories, those are the ladies to talk to. Carolyn became a big sister for the 3rd time as the family welcomed Sandra in 1956. She was elated to have a sister, treating her as a real-life doll to dress, give haircuts to, and care for. As Sandra got older, the pair's relationship evolved into more of a Thelma & Louise type of bond, nicknaming their duo the Twisted Sisters. Their relationship was monumental in Carolyn's life. Carolyn spent the rest of her youth and early adulthood in Northern California. Carolyn first became a mother in August of 1964, when her son Kevin was born in Auburn, California. As a young, single mom, she entered the workforce and was known for doing what it took to take care of herself and others around her. This quality made her an excellent employee for many different companies over the years. Carolyn worked for SaveMart in the meat department as a meat wrapper throughout the 70s and 80s and was involved with opening several locations around Northern & Central California. Her son, Kevin, swears that this is the reason she grilled such tasty meat, with tri-tip being her specialty. Carolyn also worked in the medical field as a home health assistant, a medical assistant, and an office manager in the medical department of the prison, where she eventually retired from. Carolyn was a lifelong learner, never afraid to adapt or change her environment to better her family's life. She welcomed her 2nd child, Cherie, in 1967 in Oroville, California. Soon after, Carolyn met Elias (Chada) Sapien. During her time with Chada, Carolyn was introduced to friends & family that became very important to her and stayed in her life over the years. One relationship in particular was with her dear friend, Norma. The two became fast friends and shared quite the bond, even becoming sister-in-laws at one point. They remained friends throughout their lives, staying in contact and visiting each other when they got the chance, no matter where life took them. Chada and Carolyn married in 1969, and she welcomed her 3rd child, Gary, in 1972. The pair spent nearly a decade together living in various cities in Northern and Central California, finally settling in Exeter. They eventually parted ways, but remained close friends and always had love for one another. In the mid-1970s, Carolyn became involved with the foster care system. She fostered countless children over the years, providing a safe and loving environment for them all. While the family was living in Livingston in 1977, Maria Moreno and Alejandra Martinez Sapien joined Carolyn's family. She eventually adopted her daughter, Alejendra, in 2017, and remained close with her and her entire family. Carolyn became close with the Anderson family in the early 90s, when she met Richard Anderson. The two began dating, married in 1996. The pair spent a decade together, and during that time, Carolyn was a wonderful stepmom to Richard's daughters Gail, Jo & Terry, welcoming them into her life as her own. Over the years, Carolyn was often referred to by the girls as mom, & their many grandchildren & great-grandchildren have built relationships with her as well. One of the greatest joys of Carolyn's life was being a grandmother. She had so many children in her life who knew her as Grandma. And she created unique relationships with them all, supporting them and loving them in the ways they needed over the years. She made herself a presence in every one of their lives, making sure they knew they had her love and support no matter what. She was made a Great-grandmother ten times, with her eleventh due any day. She loved nothing more than spending time with all of her grand-babies and greats. Anyone who has witnessed her around any of her babies would say that she instantly lit up anytime she was able to be with any of them for any amount of time. Carolyn loved life. She had a gypsy soul & a roll with the punches outlook. She weathered every storm life threw at her, always coming out of it stronger than she was before, learning and adapting from her experiences. If you had the pleasure of spending time with her, you always walked away feeling lighter. Throughout Carolyn's life, caring for others has clearly been a recurring theme. She cared for so many during her time here. She was passionate about helping those in need. Whether it was her children, family members, friends, neighbors, or a stray dog that showed up on her doorstep in need, she was always quick to help first and ask questions later. She simply could not resist helping when someone was in need, even if it was to her detriment. The people who had the pleasure of truly knowing Carolyn and what she was about know that she had such a gift for making you feel like you were one of her own. No matter who you were or where you came from, you had a place with her. She was truly a light in so many individuals' worlds. Carolyn is survived by her children, Kevin & wife Diana, Gary, Cherie & Alejandra & husband Elias, her sister Sandra & husband Emilio & brothers Jimmy & Roger & Cathy, her grandchildren Mark & his wife Morgan, Billy, Chris & his wife Shantel, Clarissa & her husband Riley, Wayne & his wife Andrea, Kevin Jr., Gary Jr., Ryan, Grayson, Salvador, Gabriella, Luis, great-grandchildren, Sadie, Logan, Levi, Loraine, Raelynn, Ryann, Embry, Ryder, Barrett, Remy and baby Jenny Faye on the way, lifelong friends Vicki, Nancie & Norma, Richard Anderson & children Gail, Jo & Terry, Stepchildren Randy Sapien, and Step-Grandchildren Summer, Jasmine & Tori, The Torres Family, The Hamilton Family, and many other extended family members and friends. Carolyn will be missed by so many. We are all so blessed to have known and loved her. Please join us as we celebrate her life. We will gather on Saturday, April 19th, at the Mormon church in Exeter, located at 601 N. B St., at 11:00 AM. With Lunch to follow at the church. All friends and family are invited to join in this uplifting tribute to Mom and her remarkable life. 
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