Bea was born on March 5, 1933, in Portland, Oregon, to Edwin S and Vincent de Paul Lamb. She was a descendant of prominent Oregon pioneer families, and Oregon and Washington Lighthouse keepers.  The youngest of four children, Bea was raised in Astoria at Tongue Point Lighthouse depot. She attended Star of the Sea school with her brothers and sister, continuing her Catholic education at Marylhurst College in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Upon graduation, Bea taught Home Economics and sewing classes in the Portland Public Schools and PCC.

Swept off her feet by a handsome young fella named Jerry Carriere, they wed in August of 1956 at St. Cecilia's Catholic Church in Beaverton. Settling into a home in the Laurelhurst neighborhood in Portland, Bea and Jerry raised an active family of 7 daughters. In the early 70s the two of them balanced family needs, work and their respective artistic and technical skills to open a paint and home decorating store – Gresham Décor Center- which they operated for 11 years. Because of Bea's lifelong interest in textile arts, Jerry gifted her a knitting machine, allowing her to explore a new-to-her passion. Eventually becoming a proficient self-taught machine knitter, Bea shared her talents teaching across the country at seminars, as interest grew. They opened Gresham Knitting machines to facilitate this growing interest, and Jerry became the Service Department and widely known Fix-it guy. Bea and Jerry moved to the Vancouver, Washington area in the late 80s, Gresham Knitting Machines transitioned into NEEDLE-TEK, and they settled into a less hectic pace while enjoying the frequent visits of their many grandchildren.

Bea joined her parents and siblings in heaven on October 26, 2025. She will live on in the hearts and minds of her devoted husband Jerry, her 7 daughters, 23 grandchildren, 37 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great-grandchildren.

A funeral Mass will be held on November 17, 2025, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church, 400 South Andresen Road, Vancouver, Washington 98661