Carolyn Shaw Bonifay was born on January 27, 1940 in Huntsville, TX. She died on July 3, 2023 at the age of 83 after suffering from Alzheimer's Disease for 11 years.  Carolyn is preceded in death by her parents, Paul and Margaret Shaw and her brother John. She is survived by her husband of 60 years, Bill Bonifay and daughters Melissa Bonifay Knittle (Tom) and Amy Bonifay Russell (Mark) and 4 grandchildren: David, Marley, and Luke Knittle, and Natalie Russell.

Carolyn and Bill met at Louisiana State University where she graduated with a BS in Business Administration.  Carolyn and Bill resided in Baton Rouge when they were first married and moved to Houston, TX where they lived until 1971. Carolyn and Bill moved to Morris Plains and then Summit, New Jersey where they raised their 2 daughters as "yankees". In the years between raising their children and retirement, the Bonifays lived in Houston, TX, Doylestown, PA, and Glen Ellyn, IL.  Carolyn loved gardening, reading, photography and musical theater. She was a faithful member of the Church of Christ and raised her children to follow Jesus.

After retirement in 1995, Carolyn and Bill moved to Tyler, TX, and lived there until 2017. Carolyn served as the president of her local chapter of the Kappa Kappa Gamma Alumni Association, was a Master Gardener, worked on the Book Mobile, and was very involved in church activities. She was a good friend, loved word games, and reading to her grandchildren. In 2017, Carolyn and Bill moved to Corinth, Texas to live closer to family due to the progression of her illness. Bill cared for Carolyn at home until she moved  recently to full-time care where she was only in residence for 10 days before she went home to be with the Lord. Carolyn's family is very grateful for the excellent and personal care she received from Precise Hospice Care and Skyway Senior Care Home.