Carol Lorine Brezina

Carol was born on August 7, 1944, at Miner's Hospital in Crosby, Minnesota, to Les and Clara (Armbrust) Johnson. She grew up in Crosby and Deerwood, Minnesota, near Serpent Lake, and graduated from Crosby-Ironton High School in 1961. She attended Macalester College before transferring to the University of Minnesota, where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) and became a registered nurse.

Carol enjoyed a career in healthcare, serving in a variety of roles, including hospital nursing and many years in a urology practice. She eventually became an executive at UnitedHealthcare, where she played an instrumental role in establishing important healthcare services, including nurse call centers, second-opinion programs, and centers of excellence for surgery. Throughout her career, Carol was dedicated to improving healthcare and helping others access the care they needed.

Carol and her loving husband, Wayne, were married on December 10, 1966, and shared nearly 60 years together. They built a life centered on family, faith, service, and adventure while raising their three children. Over the years, Carol and Wayne enjoyed many adventures, both close to home and through their travels around the world, creating treasured memories along the way.

Service to others was a defining part of Carol's life. Her volunteer activities included Parents Aiding Children Together (PACT), serving as PTA president at Countryside Elementary School in Edina, Minnesota, and involvement with the Cuyuna Lakes Education Foundation in Crosby, Minnesota. She also supported Vietnamese refugee families and children as they established new lives in the United States.

Carol was deeply involved in her church communities, serving at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina, Minnesota; Salem Lutheran Church in Deerwood, Minnesota; and Christ Lutheran Church in Sedona, Arizona. Her commitment to helping others extended to mission trips supporting communities affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey. She was especially passionate about outreach efforts, including Hands Healing Hunger, which supports food banks throughout Arizona's Verde Valley.

Above all, Carol cherished her family, friends and the time they spent together. Her love and commitment to helping others touched the lives of many, and her legacy of kindness and service will continue through the family, friends, and communities she loved.

Carol is survived by her loving husband, Wayne; her three children, Heather Barry, Christine (Jesse) Weldon, and Margaret Nguyen-Brezina; her brother-in-law, Ted (Caroline) Brezina; and her sister-in-law, Rosemary Brezina.

She is also survived by her beloved grandchildren and great-grandchildren: Alyssa (Jake) Barry, Milan Brezina, Leah (Sam) Barry, Brandon (Abbie) Barry, Nevaeh Brezina, John (Lydia) Weldon, Connor Weldon, Ashaia Nguyen-Brezina, Amirii Allen, and Nevaeh-Milan Brezina; as well as many nieces and nephews.

Carol was preceded in death by her parents, Les and Clara Johnson; her sister, Linda Nichols; and her brother-in-law, Ronnie Brezina.

Carol will be remembered for her compassion, leadership, and commitment to her family, faith, and community. Her life was one of love and service, and she leaves a legacy in the many lives she touched.

Funeral services will be held on Saturday, October 17th at 10 am at Christ Lutheran Church in Sedona Arizona and will be available online at https://www.christsedona.org/sermon-1-2

The family requests that gifts in memory of Carol Brezina be made to Christ Lutheran Church’s Hands Healing Hunger campaign. Kindly make your check out to Christ Lutheran Church, address: 25 Chapel Road Sedona, AZ 86336. Please put “Carol Brezina-HHH” in the memo line. Memorials may also be made online at www.christsedona.org select “contribute” on the upper right corner.