Lucia Carpenter Dean

November 26, 1936 – May 25, 2025 

Lucia Jane Carpenter Dean, M.D., passed away peacefully in her sleep on May 25, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee at the age of 88. Born on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1936, in her family home in Glendale, California, Lucia lived a life devoted to her Christian faith, family, medicine, and service. 

The daughter of Dr. Charles Henry Carpenter and Lucia Anita Porter Carpenter, Lucia grew up in Glendale and graduated as valedictorian from Hoover High School in 1954. “Lu” spent her early years cruising with her family from Balboa Island to Catalina Island and assisting in her father's medical practice — early signs of a lifelong commitment to healing. 

Lucia attended Abilene Christian University where she met the love of her life, Dr. H. Douglas Dean. She went on to graduate with honors from the University of Southern California in 1958, then earned her medical degree from University of California at Los Angeles in 1962 — one of the few women in her class. The day after graduation, she married Doug, beginning a partnership of love and purpose for 30 years. 

Lucia practiced family medicine alongside her father and brother, Dr. Charles Milton Carpenter, in Glendale, while Doug taught biology at Pepperdine University. In 1976, they moved with their three children — Deborah Lee Dean Beyer (Eric), Kenneth Charles Dean (Beth), and Stephanie Rose Olson (Jim) — to Bell Canyon, California. Lucia went on to serve as physician administrator of two West San Fernando Valley Health Centers for the Los Angeles County Health Department, a Chief Physician for the Medical Staff of Olive View/UCLA Medical Center, and as the District Health Officer for the West San Fernando Valley until her retirement in 1998. 

She was an unwavering presence in her family’s lives — a respectful daughter, devoted wife, tireless mother, and deeply loving grandmother. Her legacy lives on through her three children and her grandchildren who lovingly called her “Beep Beep”: Meredith Beyer, Ian Beyer, Kaitlyn Olson, Elisa Dean, Kyle Dean, Rachel Dean and Micah Dean. She also delighted in her nieces Kini Carpenter Jorgensen (Keith) and Lani Carpenter Estrada (Arthur). 

Lucia was a leader in every community she touched — from her church (lifelong member of the church of Christ) and the Pepperdine community (President and board member of the Associated Women for Pepperdine), to President of the UCLA Medical Alumni Association, Red Hat Society and the Orange County Republican Women.  Known for her spirited advocacy and talent for fundraising, she also loved swimming, ping pong, traveling, and — always — a weekly hair appointment. In her “spare time,” she also was a sought-after speaker at women’s Christian retreats (including 20+ years at the Yosemite Family Encampment) discussing the balance between career and family with Christ at the helm of all her endeavors. In her later years, she enjoyed traveling in the U.S. to see friends and family, and going abroad to explore the world (sometimes even singing alongside a Christian acapella group). She often joked in the past few years that she was finally "doing absolutely nothing" — a gentle reward for a life fully lived. 

A graveside celebration of life will be held later this year at her resting place beside Doug at Oakwood Memorial Park in Chatsworth, California. She requested that memorial gifts be made to the Dr. H. Douglas Dean Scholarship Fund at Pepperdine University. To make a donation click here or go to https://impact.pepperdine.edu/campaigns/in-honor-of-dr-lucia-carpenter-dean-h-douglas-dean-memorial-scholarship