Carolyn Leah (Frank) Roberts

Carolyn Leah (Frank) Roberts was born on February 20, 1953, in Berwyn, Illinois to Alfred Joseph Frank and Victoria Rose Witt. Carolyn moved with her family from Lombard, Illinois to Wheat Ridge, Colorado in 1962. She attended Kullerstrand Elementary, Manning Junior High, and Wheat Ridge High School, graduating from the latter in 1971. Carolyn had an independent streak from a young age, a love for adventure, and a strong sense of right and wrong. Each of these qualities served her well in her future personal and professional pursuits.

Carolyn graduated with honors from Metropolitan State College in 1975 with a degree in Criminology. Starting as a jail deputy and retiring as a Detective, Carolyn worked at the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office for over 35 years. During her time there, she received two Meritorious Service awards. She was a fierce advocate for women and children spending most of her career helping victims of juvenile crime and sexual assault. After working one particularly appalling child abuse case Carolyn, along with colleagues from a handful of local government agencies and social services organizations, came together to form an advocacy center to provide a safe and supportive environment for child abuse victims and their families. That center, now called Blue Sky Bridge, paved the way for the development of child advocacy centers with similar missions throughout the country. Later in her career, Carolyn traveled throughout the U.S. providing training to law enforcement and related agencies on how best to respond to incidents involving domestic violence.

Carolyn loved biking, hiking, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and many other outdoor activities. Her biggest passion was traveling and, in her lifetime, she visited a total of 89 countries - many of them more than once. She was a dedicated attendee of Family in Christ Community Church and particularly enjoyed the holiday cookie sale. She belonged to Up the Creek Ski and Recreation Club, Denver Bicycle Touring Club, Westminster MAC Senior Center, and Bike Friendly Arvada. Carolyn had an extensive group of friends. She was honest and trustworthy and always made people feel welcome.

Carolyn died on the morning of August 4, 2023, from complications of ALS. She showed great courage throughout her illness and fought hard until the end.

She is survived by her sisters, Sharon (Kirby) Edwards, Denise (Tom) O’Rourke, and Cindy (Jim) Allison; her niece, Melissa (Kevin) Kemp and her nephews, Brendan O’Rourke and Kleetus Edwards.

The family wishes to express their tremendous gratitude to the caregivers from Clermont Park and Brighton Hospice for their loving care of Carolyn. We also wish to thank the Rocky Mountain ALS Society and the ALS Clinic at National Jewish Health for their long-term support of her.

A Celebration of Life service will be held on Friday, October 27, 2023, at 11:00 am at Family in Christ Community Church, 11355 Sheridan Blvd, Westminster, CO 80020. Reception immediately following.     

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Rocky Mountain ALS Society, 10855 Dover Street, Suite 550, Broomfield, CO 80021 or Blue Sky Bridge, 2617 Iris Hollow Place, Boulder, CO 80304.