Carolyn Joyce Strange Life

Carolyn Joyce Strange Life, 81, of Huntsville, passed away at Huntsville Hospital on March 5, 2026. Born in Gadsden, Alabama, on July 11, 1944, she was a beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, and aunt whose quiet strength and generous spirit touched everyone around her.

After her early years on Sand Mountain, Carolyn moved with her family to Chattanooga, where she attended high school. She went on to Middle Tennessee State University, where she met Malcom Leslie Life, who was preparing to join the U.S. Air Force. They married in 1964 and welcomed their first daughter, Suzy Almeda, in 1968. Following Malcom’s tour in Vietnam, their second daughter, Sharon Marie, arrived in 1972.

As an Air Force wife, Carolyn created a warm and stable home despite frequent moves across several states. She was deeply involved in the churches they attended, teaching children’s Sunday school and vacation Bible school for many years. She also volunteered extensively in military outreach programs, supporting young families and serving communities near the bases where they lived. She was once honored as Volunteer of the Year for her dedicated service.

After Malcom’s retirement in 1986, the family settled in Huntsville, which became their permanent home. Following his unexpected passing in 1988, Carolyn returned to school at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, earning a bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in technical writing in 1993 while maintaining a 3.8 GPA. She worked at Intergraph for more than a decade. During her time at UAH, she discovered a love for ballroom dancing, joining a dance club and happily participating in competitions.

In retirement, Carolyn devoted nearly five years to the full-time care of her mother, Opal. After her mother’s passing, she continued to care for others through her church and community. In 2009, she was blessed with twin granddaughters, Leslie Opal and Ellen Marie, and spent many joyful days helping to raise them. Throughout her later years, she remained a steadfast source of love and practical help—visiting friends, running errands, driving people to appointments, and staying connected with distant loved ones by phone.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband of 24 years, Malcom Leslie Life; her father, J. B. Strange; her mother, Opal Lee Jones; her sisters, Tony Rachel Sampson and Sandra Guice Strickland; her brothers-in-law, John and David Life; her sister-in-law, Mary Alice Life; and 11 sets of aunts and uncles.

She is survived by her daughters, Suzy Almeda Life and Sharon Marie Life-Putnam; her son-in-law, Eric Life-Putnam; her granddaughters, Leslie Opal and Ellen Marie Life-Putnam; and a large, loving extended family including brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews, and their children.