After a lifetime filled with joy and travel, Carol Kasses, 76, passed away peacefully in her favorite place, surrounded by family at home in Scottsdale, Ariz., on September 29, 2024.

Passionate about a number of causes and pursuits, she will be remembered as a generous and thoughtful contributor to her community. She brought joy to countless families and friends for decades in hosting annual gingerbread house decorating parties. She was a dedicated fitness enthusiast who could often be found swimming laps as the sun rose and walking in excess of five miles a day.

A frequent world traveler with her husband of 51 years, Kenneth Kasses, she found ways to connect with people around the globe, building relationships wherever she went and becoming a trusted friend and confidante. Despite a long-time apprehension about many things related to technology, her phone’s contact list was filled with paragraphs of information about hundreds of acquaintances she’d made. A former medical school librarian originally from San Mateo, Calif., she continued recording and cataloging details into her final days.

And though the acute myeloid leukemia which ultimately took her life kept her closer to home in her final year, it could not fully sap her zeal for her favored pursuits, as she managed to make it back into the pool and onto the walking trails even after multiple rounds of chemotherapy.

In addition to her husband, she is survived by her son, Glenn, daughter-in-law, Amber, and her three grandchildren, Cooper, Camilla and Avery. She is also survived by her two older brothers, Dale Miller and Curt Miller, her brother-in-law Edward Kasses, as well as their spouses and numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held on November 10 from 1-4 p.m. at Desert Mountain’s Cochise/Geronimo Clubhouse at 10333 Rockaway Hills Drive in Scottsdale. In lieu of flowers or other gifts, her family requests that donations be made to Hospice of the Valley, an organization which helped provide care and comfort in her final days.