Carol Jean Canada

Carol Jean Canada (née Drozda) was born in 1952 in Butler, Pennsylvania, and moved with her family to Phoenix, Arizona, as a child. She attended Moon Valley High School, where she met lifelong best friends. She was a parishioner of what is now St. Stephen Byzantine Catholic Cathedral in Phoenix, which her family helped establish and build during the 1960s. It was there that she developed the foundation of faith that would guide her throughout her life.

Carol became a registered nurse and went on to a distinguished career in healthcare, dedicating more than 25 years to hospital case management. She served in leadership roles at hospitals across the country and shared her expertise through consulting, program development, mentoring, teaching, and writing. She also served as president of the Arizona chapter of the Case Management Society of America and volunteered with the Red Cross in Mississippi following Hurricane Katrina, providing nursing support and stress debriefing. Her final and most beloved role before retirement was as Director of Case Management and Social Services at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Arizona, where she served for more than six years.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Carol was loved for her kindness, generosity, and the warmth she brought to everyday life. Colleagues became close friends, and those she mentored remembered her support during pivotal moments in their lives. Whether sharing a laugh with a coworker, chatting with a neighbor from her patio, or comforting someone through loss, she made time for people. Friends and colleagues across the country remember her with deep affection and respect.

Christmas Eve was the family’s most sacred celebration, filled with cherished memories of gathering at Baba and Didi’s home. After their passing, Carol lovingly carried on that tradition in her own home, keeping alive the faith, love, and togetherness that made those evenings so precious to every generation. She adored her grandchildren, who brought her immeasurable joy, she spoke of her family with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. While she lived in the family home near the end of her life, they helped care for her with tenderness and love, returning the care she had so freely given them.

She is survived by her partner, Larry Canada; her daughter, Leah Malone von Schaumburg, and her husband, Ken; her son, Daniel Drozda; her grandchildren, Janie (Josh), Colette, Alix, Chase, Teddy, and Rory; and her sisters, Christina and Janet Drozda. She was predeceased by her parents, John and Mary Drozda; her sister, Marianne; her brother, John; and her lifelong best friend, Wanda Kelly.

She also leaves behind her beloved nieces, nephews, and their children: Rita (Rivers) Morrell IV (Rivers V and Rayna); Nick (Dixie) Drozda (Lillian and Zane); Chris (Kirstie) Ball (Valerie); Autumn Thompson (Alder); and John Drozda III. She loved them as her own children, helping to raise them and holding a special place in each of their lives.

The greatest gift she gave her family was a deep knowledge and love of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. Through the faith she shared with us, we find comfort in knowing that we will one day be reunited with her in Heaven.

A viewing will be held from 10:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026 at St. Louis Catholic Church, 2907 Popkins Lane, Alexandria, VA 22306 where a funeral mass will follow at 11:00 a.m.