Carolyn Faye Raborn

Carolyn Faye Bryan Raborn, 89, passed away on Thursday, July 16, 2026, in Gulfport, Mississippi.

Born in Osyka, Mississippi (Pike County), Carolyn graduated from Osyka High School in 1955. She made the Mississippi Gulf Coast her home in 1969 and was a devoted member of Robinwood Baptist Church.

Carolyn was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose greatest joy was her family. She was deeply devoted to her three children and cherished every opportunity to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

In 1954, Carolyn was chosen from a field of thirty contestants to serve as the inaugural Dairy Queen of the Kentwood Dairy Festival in Kentwood, Louisiana. A talented seamstress, she was widely admired for her exceptional craftsmanship, creating beautiful quilts and intricately smocked dresses for babies and young children. She was also an avid gardener who took great pride in cultivating flowers and maintaining beautiful gardens.

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 62 years, James Raborn; her parents, David and Ada Lou Frazier Bryan; her sisters, Geraldine Romano, Guvern Fourroux, Beverly Jean Connelly, Barbra Darlene Wilkinson, and Ruth Rabb; and her brothers, David Bryan Jr. and Chief Petty Officer Robert Gayle Bryan, and a son-in-law, William “Billy” Bennett.

She is survived by her children, Todd Steven Raborn of Osyka, Mississippi; Terri Lynn Raborn Dedeaux (Gene) of Perkinston, Mississippi; and Timothy Edward Raborn (Samantha) of Pass Christian, Mississippi. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Jennifer Lynn Shivers of Long Beach, Mississippi; Andrew Raborn of Round Rock, Texas; and Amanda Raborn Meynard (Zach) of Pass Christian, Mississippi; her great-grandchildren, Darren Shivers of Long Beach, Mississippi, and Avery and Audrey Meynard of Pass Christian, Mississippi; two step-grandchildren, Adam Dedeaux (Erica) of Wiggins, Mississippi, and Christopher Dedeaux (Ashley) of Pass Christian, Mississippi; her sister, Jackie Bryan Milton of Baker, Louisiana; a special niece who was raised as a sister, Lana Faye Galvan, Coronado, California; her sisters-in-law, Linda Bryan, Kingsland, Georgia and Kathryn Finch, Covington, Louisiana; and many beloved nieces, nephews, extended family members, and friends.

Visitation will be held at Robinwood Baptist Church in Saucier, MS on Wednesday, July 22, from 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. followed by a service at 10:30 a.m. Interment will be at 2:30 p.m. at Biloxi National Cemetery in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Bradford O’Keefe Funeral Home, O’Neal Road, Gulfport, is honored to serve the family of Carolyn Faye Raborn.