Theresa “Carol” Leonard was born on December 26, 1951 in Denver Colorado to Charles and Zoetta Kersten. She passed away on February 18, 2026 in Ridgecrest, CA at the age of 74. She was their only child. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her only grandchild Samantha.

In the mid 1960’s the Kersten family moved to China Lake, CA where her father was a Military Police Officer. There Theresa continued her education and graduated from Burroughs High School in 1970. When Theresa graduated from High School she started going by CAROL.

In 1972 she became a mom to her only child Lisa. She graduated from Cerro Coso College in 1978 and worked at the Naval Weapons Center with the Sidewinder Missile project. She continued her Configuration Management career for the next 40 years working on multiple Military projects. She would receive many awards and was actually asked to be a keynote speaker in Las Vegas in 2004. One of her final projects was teamed up with NASA for the Perseverance Mars Rover.

When she wasn’t working on “secret” things for the military she loved helping her community. She volunteered at her local food pantry as well as Relay For Life. She then worked side by side with her daughter Lisa and others of the Ventura Downtown Lions Club making our community a better place to live.

She was a true Denver "Orange Crush" Bronco Fan. She also loved watching NASCAR and cheering on Dale Earnhardt and Kevin Harvick. Carol actually passed away on the 25th anniversary of Dale Earnhardt's tragic crash at Daytona.

When she moved back to Ridgecrest for the 3rdtime she joined the Ridgecrest Lions club in 2024. She then helped bring back the lunch program and other services to the Ridgecrest Senior Center. More than anything, Carol was dedicated to serving her community. She gave her time and energy to helping others, leaving a lasting impact on those around her. Her kindness and willingness to lend a hand made her a cherished friend and neighbor.

Carol was a woman with a warm heart and a generous spirit, who found joy in life’s simple pleasures. She had a special love for creating diamond art, a hobby that reflected her patience, creativity, and eye for beauty. She also enjoyed trips to the casino, where she embraced the excitement and fun of the moment.

On December 3, 2025 Carol was diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer. Even though she didn't smoke a day in her life. Just a few days later she went into Kidney failure. Cancer then spread to her brain and she became an angel on February 18, 2026.

Carol will be remembered for her caring nature, her love of life, and the joy she brought to those who knew her. No one can match that magical smile that she had. She will be deeply missed and forever held in the hearts of her family and friends.

A Celebration of Life will be held on April 25, 2026 at 11am at Crossroads Community Church 235 N China Lake Blvd in Ridgecrest. Lunch reception to follow.