Carolyn Angela Elizalde Brooks
Born on July 14,1931, Carolyn was a 2nd generation Santa Barbarian. She grew up on the westside with her brother, sister, and parents. As a teenager, she packed lemons in Goleta, accompanied her father delivering vegetables as far north as Santa Maria, and enjoyed fishing with him off Stearns Wharf. She graduated from Santa Barbara High School in 1949 and on Jan 1st, 1950, married Calvin Perry (CP) Brooks from Oklahoma. Carolyn and Perry had three children: Karen, Robin (Robbie), and Brett Brooks. They divorced in 1968. For 25 years, she worked at JC Penny’s on State Street in the lingerie department and could tell just by looking at you what size undergarments you wore. Carolyn loved playing poker with friends until the wee hours of the night. She also had a love for BINGO and would play with her friends, Mary Lou & Duann. She outlived most of her friends and missed them dearly. Her real passion was being a mom and a grandma. Many knew her as “Grandma” and knew her for her warm & welcoming home. She lived a lifetime of loved ones stopping by her home on Santa Catalina for a nap on the couch or a snack from the fridge. Family BBQs, grandkids and a big, loud family was Carolyn’s normal.
Living so close to Leadbetter Beach and Shoreline Park made her home the perfect place to park for the summertime days at the beach, which always ended with a BBQ in her backyard. She always had a fridge full of favorites and her family joked that it was automatic to go straight to the fridge when they got to Grandma’s house. She doted on her 6 grandkids, who spent many school breaks and overnights at “camp grandma.” Carolyn loved the Lakers and Kobe Bryant, and was a dedicated fan watching all their games and coaching (yelling) at the TV from her living room. While her love of Kobe was one of her biggest, Elvis Presley was her true love. She couldn’t help but dance the second Elvis came on. Even in her final days, we could still get a toe tap or some jazz hands by playing Elvis. She loved a glass of wine in the evening, while watching game shows or Forrest Gump, with her faithful dog Kalani by her side. Kalani was the best at keeping the “boogie man away.” Carolyn was so proud of her home on Santa Catalina, which she bought in 1950. She moved to Casa Linda in December of 2019 where she lived until her final weeks. She spent her final days back on “the Mesa” in her son’s home, surrounded by family. Preceded in death by her parents, Angela Ronconi & Manuel Elizalde, siblings Freddie Elizalde & Louise Butterfield and her daughter Karen Beaudette. Grandma you are deeply missed and remembered by her sons Robbie (Scotti) & Brett (Shannon), grandchildren, great-grandchildren & many more. A celebration of Carolyn’s life will take place on Saturday, April 29, 2023. For more information, please contact and RSVP cheybrooks05@gmail.com or (805) 729-2732.