Carmen Libman

PHOENIX – Carmen was born in San Francisco, CA, and grew up in the Bay Area, while also spending a lot of time with her family in Guadalajara, Mexico. After graduating high school, Carmen attended the University of California Berkeley, where she met her husband, Barry Libman. Carmen and Barry were married for nearly 60 years and were much loved by their seven children, many grandchildren, and two great-granddaughters.

Carmen and Barry first settled in Wausau, Wisconsin. Carmen was an avid tennis player and spectator and made many friends playing in leagues, round robins, and tournaments. Carmen, along with her husband, devoted much of her life to community service, civil rights, and social justice. She loved working with Hmong refugee resettlement, acting as a strong advocate, and making many close, lasting friendships in the Hmong community. An art major in college, Carmen was thrilled when they purchased a Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian in Wausau and began collecting fine art.

In the mid-80s, the family moved to Phoenix, where Carmen became a docent at the Heard Museum and advocated for the developmentally disabled in Washington Elementary School District. Carmen and Barry continued their community service in Arizona, starting the Washington Street Foundation (WSF), a private family foundation that offers mentoring and scholarship assistance. WSF has helped numerous disadvantaged children achieve their dreams of higher education. The ripple effect the program had on the families of the WSF scholars has been tremendous. The program is always in need of new mentors (hint, hint) and can be found at www.wsfkids.org.

Carmen and her husband exemplified altruism and generosity; the couple was actively involved with a number of worthy organizations, including her daughter’s international health humanitarian organization, The Tia Foundation. She and her husband often traveled to rural Mexico and helped assemble medical kits for the Community Health Workers Tia trains. Everyone who knew them was touched by them.

Their indelible legacy will be carried on by those who survive them: their children Laura Libman, Joe Libman (Heather), Seth Libman (Kelly), Jeffrey Micah Libman, and Fred Libman; their ten grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; her sister, Carol Riddell Berger, and beloved nieces, nephews, and cousins on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border. She is preceded in death by her husband, Barry Libman, her daughters, Nicole Libman and Alma Marie Libman, and her parents, Jerome and Luisa Riddell. Our loss is beyond words.

The family asks if you wish to honor her memory, donations can be made to The Tia Foundation at www.tiafoundation.org or P.O. Box 36203, Phoenix, AZ 85067.