Colleen McCarthy, 70, of Scottsdale, AZ passed away on December 28, 2024, with her family at her side. Colleen was born in Phoenix, AZ in 1954 to John and Patricia McCarthy, the 5th of 7 children. She graduated from Camelback High School in 1972 and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from the University of Arizona and a master’s degree in Public Health from the University of Utah.

With her strong public health background and leadership skills she had a storied career as an Industrial Hygienist, including many years as manager of the Phoenix office of Industrial Hygiene International (IHI), where she was often sought out by clients across the state as a subject matter expert in her field. For several years she was an adjunct professor at Gateway Community College, where she taught classes in industrial hygiene, her way of giving back to the next generation.

In 2000 she married Nick Horstman at a ceremony at the Grand Canyon. For their honeymoon they hiked to the bottom of Havasupai to spend a few days in that beautiful place.

In 2001 this new family, Nick, Colleen, and her young son Patrick, moved to Kirkland, WA (Seattle) for new career opportunities. With her outgoing personality she met lifelong friends there. Colleen did volunteer work for the Catholic parish and school in Kirkland. In 2012 Colleen, Nick, and Patrick returned to Arizona. Later, Colleen went to work for the Arizona Department of Transportation until she retired in 2019.

Colleen was an athletic person for most of her life. She was an exceptional tennis player and an excellent swimmer. Colleen loved the outdoors and being at the ocean was her favorite place of happiness and regeneration. She and Nick spent many vacations at Pacific Beach in San Diego. She loved making clay art and was very creative. When her pieces came out of the kiln you could count on them being beautiful, creative, and maybe a bit quirky, with her amazing personality evident in each one. Ever the person to put herself out there, she wrote and published a small children's book in 2023.

She is survived by her husband Nick, son Patrick (Katie), sisters Michele, Susan, Mary (Travis), and Beth, brother John (Renee), stepchildren Heather and Christopher, grandchildren Anna, Paul, Sebastian, and Murphy, nieces Aynsley, Maggie, Ashley, Allison, Melissa, Elizabeth, and Alyssa, and nephew Taylor. She was preceded in death by her father John, mother Patricia, sister Marion, and brother-in-law Fred.

Colleen will be remembered for her sense of humor, outgoing personality, strong intellect, creativity, and deep love for her family. A funeral mass will be held on January 16, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church, 6261 N. Granite Reef Rad, Scottsdale, AZ 85250. Immediately after the mass there will be a reception and memorial in Piper Hall at the parish, followed by a 1 pm burial service at St. Francis Catholic Cemetery, 2033 N. 48th Street, Phoenix, AZ 85008.

https://www.azcentral.com/obituaries/pazs1050317