Carolyn Lasater

Carolyn was born on Feb. 18, 1942 in Salt Lake City, Utah where she began at a very early age her love of the arts, being actively involved in music performance and dance. She studied viola, bass and piano, sang in various groups and performed in dance with her brother Steve, before finding her true calling and passion in beauty pageants. She took her very first title at the young age of 16, being crowned Miss Sugarhouse. She continued very successfully winning numerous titles from all over the state until 1961 when she took the prestigious title of Miss Utah, going on to represent the state at the 1962 Miss America Pageant, where millions of fans cheered her on as she won the talent competition, and was then crowned 2nd runner-up to Miss America. This was all done while she attended the University of Utah, majoring in Theatre Arts. She was then offered a contract with Warner Brothers and moved to California to pursue her acting, having appeared in films with Troy Donahue, Carey Grant and other notables and had also been featured on The Tonight Show and The Red Skelton Show. Two years later, she moved to New York where she was offered a scholarship to pursue theatre with the legendary Broadway producer David Merrick. While in New York, she met the man that would sweep her of her feet, John Kay Aldous, Jr. Although they were both from Salt Lake City, attended the same high school, and the same university, they did not meet until in New York. After dating for two years they wed on September 4, 1964. They then moved to the Washington D.C. area, where she gave birth to and raised her two sons. She was active in the PTA, the LDS church, and sang in the championship Barbershop group "Sweet Adelines". She was a dedicated mother, and stayed active by studying Tae Kwon Do with her family, where she attained the rank of black belt. One of her notable achievements was her role as producer and founder of the east coast performing cast of "Voices of Destiny", a youth group performing musical theatre with a positive message. They relocated to Orlando, FL in 1989, where she became involved again with the pageant system as a coach, having successfully coached various local winners, a Miss Utah, a Miss Florida, a Miss Kansas and the 1997 Miss America. Kay and Carolyn moved to their dream home in Montana when Kay retired. Shortly after his passing, she returned back to her childhood home of Salt Lake, to be near her two sons. Everyone who new Carolyn was enamored by her charm, grace, kindness and compassion. She actively attended the LDS temple and served a Welfare Mission for the church. Her passions were music, dance, and family history. A Funeral Service was held at the Foothill 6th Ward Chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah on Friday, November 16, 2007. She was buried at her Ranch in Kila, Montana beside her husband John who had died 13 years earlier.