Patricia "Tricia" Marie Carter

Patricia “Tricia” Marie Carter, 71, of Lakewood, Colorado, passed away peacefully on May 30, 2025, surrounded by her family. Born May 13, 1954, in Marin County, California, Tricia was the third of four children of Roy E. Donegon (1923-1993) and Delores D. Donegon (1927-2020). When Tricia was an infant, her family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the family stayed for many decades. Tricia graduated from Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado and earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. Tricia married her college sweetheart, Brad Carter, in 1977, and the couple moved to Duncan, Oklahoma, where daughter, Becky, was born in 1980. Shortly after Becky was born, the family moved back to Colorado and settled in Lakewood, where Tricia and Brad welcomed their second daughter, Kelli, in 1982.

Over the years, Tricia dedicated her time to taking care of her family, working for a local elementary school, and later, for the program S.W.A.P. (School to Work Alliance Program). She loved spending time with family and friends, volunteering in her daughter’s classrooms, planning birthday parties and holidays, sewing and crafting. Tricia also fiercely loved animals. She had many pets over the years, including her cat, Jasmine, and Golden Retrievers Patty, Molly, Sundance, Cassidy, Hudson and Remington. She was also passionate about donating money and supplies to animal shelters that needed help.

To show love to family and friends, Tricia gave gifts from her heart. She loved to bake cookies for everyone at Christmas time. She loved to make crafts and gift bags for others simply to brighten their day. Tricia always remembered a birthday or anniversary and made sure to make it special. She also was very good at keeping in touch, either by picking up the phone just to check in and say hello, or by writing a note and sending it by mail. Anyone reading this has likely received one of Tricia’s generous gifts of love and friendship.

Later in life, Tricia enjoyed her favorite role of all, Grandma. Tricia had two granddaughters, Isla, born in 2016 and Norah, born in 2018. Tricia helped watch her granddaughters weekly, and kept the girls busy with crafts, painting, puzzles, reading books and baking. She always provided a lap to sit on and arms to snuggle with a warm hug. Isla and Norah love Grandma Tricia tremendously and will miss her deeply.

Tricia was preceded in death by her parents, Roy and Delores Donegon. She is survived by her husband of 48 years, Brad, of Lakewood, Colorado; her daughters, Becky of Nashville, Tennessee; Kelli (Joe) of Centennial, Colorado; her siblings Kathy (Karl) of Longmont, Colorado; Dan (Beverli) of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Debbie (Bob) of Loveland, Colorado; four nephews and one niece, two granddaughters and numerous cousins and second-cousins.

Per Tricia’s wishes, she will be cremated and have her ashes spread at her parents’ gravesite in Hot Springs, South Dakota. A celebration of life service will be held in South Dakota later this summer. In lieu of flowers, we are requesting that donations be made in Tricia’s name to:

Battle Mountain Humane Society

27254 Wind Cave Rd

Hot Springs, SD, 57747-7530   battlemountainhumanesociety.org/donations