Carol A. Gravning

Our loving mother, Carol Ann Gravning (nee Schneider), age 87, departed this world peacefully on February 26, 2025, at Shadow Mountain Memory Care in Phoenix, Arizona. Carol was born to the late William and Clara (nee Gaertner) Schneider in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on September 3, 1937.

Carol grew up in Milwaukee where she attended Catholic school and graduated from Messmer High School in 1955. She briefly lived in San Francisco, CA, as a young adult, but returned to Milwaukee where she worked for the government in various roles. After Carol’s daughters were born, she was a proud stay-at-home mother. In the early years, they resided in Greendale, WI, where they lived two doors down from Carol’s mother, Clara. It was a time in Carol’s life she often spoke of with fond memories. After a brief move to West Bend, WI, the family moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 1975. Carol worked for the Air Force Academy for a year before moving to Lakewood, Colorado, where she accepted a position in the legal department of the Veterans Administration. The family settled in Lakewood for many years until Carol met the love of her life, Leland Gravning. Carol and Lee were married August 27, 1988, and lived in Aurora, Colorado, until they decided a warmer climate is where they eventually wanted to spend their retirement years. They chose Phoenix, Arizona, where Carol was able to transfer with the Veterans Administration and retired a short time later. Another bonus to the warm weather was that her beloved grandchildren also lived in Phoenix. Carol spent many joyful years visiting with and attending her grandchildren’s school events, birthday parties and special occasions. Carol and Lee also enjoyed playing golf, traveling and going on several cruises with loved ones. In her final years, Carol bravely faced the complexities of Alzheimer's disease, surrounded by the love and support of her daughters.

Carol is survived by her daughters, Lisa (Dave) Devenport and Susan Pfaff; granddaughter Caitlin Moase; sister-in-law Linda Gravning; step-daughter Kerri (Kip) Bishop and her family; and her three nieces and their families, Kathy Weston, Diane (Michael) Calvin, and Carol (Dan) Young. She was preceded in death by her loving husband Leland Gravning; grandsons Tyler and Chandler Moase; her parents William and Clara Schneider; sister Mary Wettstein; brother the Reverend Robert Schneider; and step-son Jim Rogers.

A special thank you to nurse Adriana and the Sage Hospice staff and Shadow Mountain Memory Care with their incredibly caring staff. They truly made a difference in Carol’s life.

A Celebration of Life service to honor the life of Carol Ann Gravning will be held on March 27, 2025, at Shadow Mountain Mortuary, 2350 East Greenway Road, Phoenix, AZ 85022. Visitation will be from 10:00 - 11:00 a.m.; Celebration of Life service at 11:00 a.m. with lunch to follow. Procession from the mortuary to the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona will begin at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family kindly requests donations be made to The Alzheimer’s Association, P.O. Box 96011, Washington, DC 20090-6011; or to The Muscular Dystrophy Association, P.O. Box 7410354, Chicago, IL 60674-0354.