Carolyn McCue Lobdell was born April 4, 1945, to John Edward McCue and Jean Lucille House McCue in Bethesda, Maryland. She passed away on December 29, 2023, in Fort Collins, Colorado after a decades long battle with breast cancer. She is preceded in death by her parents, her brother Robert McCue and her daughter Wendy Ann Lobdell. She is survived by her husband of 55 years, Raymond B. Lobdell, her sister Mary Lepanto and her brother-in-law, Paul, son Keith Lobdell and daughter-in-law Elizabeth Verduga-Lobdell and her son Christopher Lobdell and daughter-in-law Gina Ramirez Lobdell. Carolyn is also survived by her four grandchildren Cloe Lobdell, Camille Lobdell, Trevor Lobdell and Miranda Ramirez in addition to her sister-in-law Betsy Rodriguez McCue Vena, niece Karen McCue and nephew John McCue.
Carolyn spent most of her childhood in Brooklyn, NY and Lake Hills in Fairfield, CT. On March 17, 1968, she married the love of her life, Raymond Lobdell in Huntington, CT. She spent her early adulthood driving her green VW Beetle up and down the Eastern seaboard with her firstborn son, Chris, in tow as she followed Ray to various Naval stations. She had many stories of digging her Beetle out from under heavy snow while they were stationed in Brunswick, ME and she had to keep the battery on the kitchen table overnight so it would start on cold mornings.
Carolyn earned her BS in Accounting from West Connecticut State University AKA WestConn. In addition to being an extraordinary homemaker and mother to her three children, she held part time positions in bookkeeping and tax preparation at Stonyfield Yogurt, a Waldorf school and H&R Block. Carolyn, Ray and their children lived in several states including New Mexico where she developed her love of New Mexican food and mariachi music which was played at Chris and Gina's wedding. Exploring northern New Mexico was also loved by Carolyn and there was a particularly exciting adventure going to cut down a Christmas tree in the Santa Fe National Forest the first winter they lived in NM. Between the tree covering part of the windshield, the freezing temps and driving home in a snowstorm it was an experience no one would forget.
Being a hands-on Grandma, Carolyn loved to bake with her grandchildren and take them on adventures in both NM and CO. They rode the Sandia Tram and frequented the Albuquerque Biopark and Balloon Fiesta. After moving to Fort Collins she took them on many trips to Rocky Mountain National Park and the Spring Creek Gardens to name just a few places. She also loved holidays and all the decorating and hosting of large family meals that came with them. Her grandchildren remember her Easter Egg hunts fondly. She decorated for every holiday with enthusiasm and loved to celebrate her Irish heritage on St Patrick's Day by making traditional corned beef and cabbage with potatoes, carrots and an amazing Irish soda bread.
Carolyn's family would like to extend a sincere thank you to her oncology team at UCHealth Cancer Care and Hematology, her Pathways Hospice team and caregivers from Syngery Home Care for their wonderful care and support of Carolyn and her family.