Charlotte Lightburn Brooks

Known for her effervescence, style, and wit, Charlotte dedicated her life to music, performance, friendship, and family.

Charlotte Lightburn was born in Connellsville, Pennsylvania in 1943. Her early musical memories shaped her future. As a toddler, she belted out “It’s a Grand Night For Singing!” with her mother. At age 5, she was enraptured with a performance by Danny Kaye at Pittsburgh’s Stanley Theater – an experience that inspired her to dedicate her life to music. At age 8, she acquired her uncle’s piano. Her first public performances were for morning masses at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church behind her house. In 1965, she earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Duquesne University with a major in piano.

During a summer break from college, she and her future husband met while working at a community park in their hometown of Connellsville, and after she graduated, they married. He attended medical school, while she taught music in elementary school, first in Philadelphia, and later in Akron, Ohio. There, in 1968, their first child was born. The young family settled in Phoenix, Arizona in 1973.

During the 1970s and 1980s, they raised three boys in North Central Phoenix, forming lifelong friendships with neighbors.

In Phoenix, her work in education and involvement in community musical theater enriched the lives of countless people from all ages and walks of life. She was a founding member of the Actors Theatre of Phoenix in 1985 and of the Theatre Artists Studio in 2005, where she also served on the board.

In the late 1980s, she resumed teaching music and choir and began putting on musicals, first in an arts magnet program at South Mountain High School, then for a 10-year period at Peoria middle schools, and ultimately at Xavier College Preparatory.

In 1998, she remarried. She and her new husband enjoyed traveling and frequenting local piano bars. In 2009, she founded 16 Bars, a production company with a revolving cast of iconic performers. The company produced original musical theater, primarily cabaret and revues, with an emphasis on comedy and parody as well as an appreciation of holidays.

Charlotte was deeply loyal to friends and family. Her youthful spirit, love of long conversation, and energetic attitude were contagious to all who knew her. She loved entertaining, and would set the table for a dinner party a full day before an event.

Friends remember Charlotte as “an extraordinary woman”, and “funny and kind and gorgeous to boot”. They recall how she “brought pizazz to every situation”, “was the life of the party” and “magnetic!”. One friend described her as “an inspiration in my life… the way she harnessed her creativity.” From another friend: “She will always be a part of me and my work. My love for her lifts me… Char… Always a bright star.”

She is survived by her husband Mack Lathrop; her sister, Cathy Bailey (Stuart Bailey); her first husband Richard Brooks; her sons Michael (Cynthia Latimer), Brian (Emily Wick), and Andrew Brooks (Jelia Farzaneh Brooks); and her cherished grandchildren Avery and Onnalee. She was preceded in death by her brother Robert Lightburn, and her parents Charles and Catherine (Russo) Lightburn.

A celebration of her life will be held in the new year.