Carolyn woke up in the arms of Jesus on Friday, October 30, 2026, following a long battle with multiple chronic illnesses. She was born on January 12, 1946, at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vermont. However, she spent her formative years growing up in the Williamston area of South Carolina and raised her family with utmost devotion in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Throughout her life, Carolyn held several occupations, including working as a cosmetologist and as a cafeteria worker at Emerald High School.

Carolyn found joy in the simple pleasures of life and had a special gift for making every occasion memorable. She loved decorating for Christmas, adorning anything that could hold a bow or a light. The holiday season was especially dear to her, and she delighted in having people stop by to admire her decorations. She loved hosting enormous holiday gatherings with her entire family, celebrations that often began in the morning and continued well into the following day.

She enjoyed fishing and going to the races alongside her beloved husband and many dear friends. Music was another of her great loves, and she was always ready to get up and dance with anyone willing to join her. She found happiness in tending her garden, planting flowers throughout her yard, and entertaining family and friends on her patio beneath the pecan trees. Summers were often spent camping in the mountains and traveling to Mississippi to visit her mother and sisters.

Carolyn will be remembered and loved by all who knew her for her stubborn grit, unwavering determination, strong will, sly smile, quick wit, selflessness, and, above all, her contagious laughter. She had a way of leaving an impression on everyone she met, and her presence will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.

Carolyn was preceded in death by her husband, Paul Vincent Drawdy; her two infant children, Shae Raenette and Tony Ray Drawdy; her parents, Elijah Campbell and Deborah Simpson; her sisters, Sandra Magglos of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, and Geneva Farrell of Biloxi, Mississippi; her brother, Larry Simpson of Greenwood, South Carolina; and her daughter-in-law, Brandy Anna-Margaret Banister Drawdy.

Those left to cherish her memory include her children, Paul Vince Drawdy, Jerry Drawdy, Jackie Drawdy Hill (Daniel), and stepdaughter Vicki Davis; her grandchildren, Kenneth Drawdy, Lathan Drawdy, Natalee Makl, Wesley “Cohen” Makl, Harlow Hill, Dane Hill, Madeline Hill, Rich Gause, Terry Gause, and Brandon Davis.

She is also survived by her sisters, Annette Billingsly of Pelzer, South Carolina, and Doris Erwin of Starr, South Carolina; her brother-in-law, Harry “Jim” Magglos of Hattiesburg, Mississippi; her sister-in-law, Jeannie Moore (Phillip) of Simpsonville, South Carolina; and a multitude of nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, November 6, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. at Harley Funeral Home. Following the service, a procession will proceed to Greenwood Memorial Gardens for a brief graveside service and the inurnment of her cremated remains.