Carlos Manuel Sanchez

Carlos Manuel Sanchez, 68, returned to our Heavenly Father peacefully on the evening of January 3, 2026, surrounded by his loved ones after a short battle with kidney cancer.

Carlos was born on August 16, 1957, in Juárez, Chihuahua, Mexico, to Toribio and Amelia (Dominguez) Sanchez. He lived in Juárez until 1972, when he and his family moved to Phoenix, where he attended Phoenix Union High School, graduating in 1977. He met the love of his life and future wife on February 5, 1980, Lisa Maldonado Sanchez, and married three years later—on the same day they met—February 5, 1983. For 43 years, they shared a beautiful life of love, faith, family and adventure along with their three children.

Over the years, Carlos worked in manufacturing for Coca-Cola, Motorola, and Medtronic, where he remained until officially retiring in January 2023.

Carlos enjoyed and followed all Arizona sports teams, but his favorite was the Arizona Diamondbacks because of his deep passion for baseball, a passion he passed on to his children. He spent countless hours coaching, training, and watching his children on baseball and softball fields, creating lasting and cherished memories.

Carlos is preceded in death by his parents, Amelia and Toribio Sanchez, and sisters Dora Cisneros, and Vicki Minjarez. Left to cherish his memory are his loving wife, Lisa Sanchez; his two sons, Carlos Jr. (Stephanie) and Lorenzo (Alicia); his daughter, Veronica; his grandchildren, Savannah, Gabriel, Lorenzo Jr., and Alonzo; his brother, Lorenzo Sanchez; his two sisters, Irma Lopez (Santiago) and Carmen Leyva; his bonus children Shawneen Rodriguez, Josh Meeks and many beloved nieces and nephews.

A celebration of life for Carlos will be held on Saturday, January 10, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at Whitney & Murphy Funeral Home, located at 4800 E. Indian School Rd., Phoenix, AZ 85018. Final resting will take place at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th St., Phoenix, AZ 85008.

Special thanks to Hospice of the Valley for the amazing care, attentiveness, and compassion they provided to our dad and family during his time in their care.