Carolyn Arzbaecher Grieve

I met Carolyn 24 years ago when she hired me as the Cath Lab Manager at RNSH. Carolyn was such an amazing person and dear friend. She was the person I called every time I made a major decision in my life. Every job I applied for she wanted to see the job description and she would tell me if the job was a good fit. When I purchased my first home; she helped me decide. What I cherish most was her many trips to Boston and going to see the Red Sox. Every visit required a trip to Legals for a bowl of clam chowder. Her last visit was during the Covid craze. She decided I needed some flowers so she gifted me a plantar and flowers for my desk. Words cannot express how sorry I am for your loss.

My deepest condolences to the family and friends for the loss of our beloved Carolyn.
I met Carolyn in 1991 at Rush North Shore Medical Center where we worked side by side for 18 years followed by 2 years at Alexian Brothers Medical Center. I saw first hand the enormous gifts Carolyn possessed. She was highly intelligent, compassionate, honest and resilient.
She was consistently upbeat, optimistic and fun loving. She saw the best in others and nurtured many relationships into life long friendships.
Carolyn blessed me with her friendship for the last 33 years and I will miss her terribly!
Tony

I have so many memories of Carolyn that make me smile. We grew up together and, as kids, we were always plotting our next sleep over. As adults, we got together at the beach in the summer where our tradition was to eat Pringle´s and cream cheese dip for lunch. Sometimes, we met in the city where we always lost track of time and ended up running to catch the train. We had so many fun times! I will miss you, Care.
Your cousin,
Laus Bug (Laurie)

To the Families and Friends of Carolyn.

Please accept our sincere condolences. Carolyn may be gone but will never be far from our hearts.

I met Carolyn and her side kick Bill in College at Illinois. We shared many fun times and late-night study(cram) sessions. Later, they stopped for a visit in California on their way back from Tahiti and Carolyn told me she really wanted to go to a Mexican restaurant with a Maha-rachi band. After endless teasing, she gave me a seashell lei and told me that only the inner circle would be wearing them at her and Bill´s wedding. Needless to say, I was the only one. Loved her sense of humor.

Carolyn will be greatly missed. I have shared a couple of old pictures.
All our love,

Taylor and Denise Reid

Cousin wedding we are all grown up!

Dear Bill, Andrew, and family,
I was so very sorry to hear about Carolyn´s illness and passing. I always so enjoyed seeing and catching up with her at little league games. She was such a joyful person. My heart goes out to all.
Fondly, Karla Schub

A favorite memory was when we hosted the 2011 Loud Family Reunion in Memphis. We had a blast with Carolyn and ALL the Louds!! ;-) Loved her so very much!

To the Grieve and Arzbaecher families;

Our condolences to all of you, Carolyn was a very special person to many people, and she will be greatly missed.

I first met Carolyn when she came to work at the City of Calgary, a few months after her arrival in Canada in 1981. She immediately fit with the workplace culture, becoming the 'social coordinator' of numerous after-work events. With Bill by her side, many of us Canadians were exposed to their wonderful American hospitality and life perspective. It was an intense period, as we were all of a similar age group, fresh out of school, starting careers, and enjoying life. And, it´s where she got the nickname `Carebo´. Ask me how I know.

When Carolyn and Bill returned to the Chicago area, many of us were in withdrawal (for a lot of reasons!), so some of us decided we needed to visit them in their new apartment in Evanston. Carolyn taught us some big-city survival skills, like how not to get off at the L's Roosevelt Station, or how to duck for cover while doing a midnight swim at Northwestern Beach, and many more. We also managed to help them find a new apartment, with a much more tolerant landlord than the first one. Thus began a litany of visits on both sides of the border, too many to describe here, but each as enjoyable as the first.

As Carolyn migrated into the healthcare management field, our paths mirrored, and we had many discussions around how similar, but different, the public and private delivery models were operating in each country. I think it helped us both to gain perspective from those different viewpoints.

We regularly tracked each others' lives, and as time passed, we began tracking our children's lives between visits. Michelle and I were so fortunate to be able to visit Carolyn & Bill with our children on several occasions, enjoying the best of times with her and her entire family. We acquired 'American cousins', while they acquired 'Canadian cousins'. Watching the Summer Olympics in 2008, with everyone on the couch in the Glenview basement, was memorable. We were especially pleased to welcome them for our eldest daughter's wedding in 2013, where they were able to revisit their favourite hiking spots in the Canadian Rockies.

Upon retirement, we thought we would be able to visit more, and perhaps vacation together. Sadly, COVID-19 and Carolyn's medical issues prevented that. We have had so many happy memories of our times together, to paraphrase Ludwig Jacobowski's poem, Bright Days: Don't cry because (they) are over, Smile because they have been! (but, it's okay if we cry for a little while...)

Carolyn, we loved you very much, and we will miss you. To Bill and family, all of you are always welcome in our home, and we would love to visit you when things settle down.

Take care and see you soon,
Craig & Michelle, Laura(&Tyler), Carolyn(&Trevor), Meghan(&Marty) Dunbar

P.S.: please enjoy some of our favourite photo selections of the many we have!

I loved having little chats with Carolyn at "Apple." She always brought warmth, a sense of ease, knowledge and perspective, and mostly kindness to our conversations. I greatly enjoyed those chats. All of my love to the Arzbaecher family.

Carolyn was an exceptional colleague and a cornerstone of the healthcare quality community. I had the privilege of working closely with Carolyn on an intense, 18-month project, where her expertise proved invaluable. What truly set her apart, however, was her ability to make every interaction meaningful and often joyful. No matter how stressful our work became, she always found a way to make us laugh and keep us motivated.

Carolyn's impact extended far beyond her professional contributions. She was a trusted confidante, always ready to listen and offer both professional and personal advise. Her wisdom, patience, and unwavering support helped shape the careers and lives of many, including my own.

To Carolyn's family, please know my thoughts are with you as you begin to navigate life without her by your side. I can only imagine what a huge void she has left in your life that can never be truly filled. I hope these words, and the memories of happier times, provide a respite from your grief.

Carolyn, you will be deeply missed but never forgotten. Thank you for your generosity, humor, and kindness. The healthcare quality community has lost a true champion. Rest in peace, dear friend and mentor.

You will be GREATLY missed Carebo.

Attaching one of the only documented photos of you wearing Iowa gear (that other school you attended), as well as one my favorites.