Carolyn Janelle Hardy Cockerham was born on March 28, 1939, in Beaumont, Texas to Ellis Westerfield and Ruth Estelle Hardy. She had no other siblings. She was born with hearing loss; however, she had an aptitude for both art and music. She grew up in a musical family: her father played the drums in a professional band and in church while her mother played the piano. She learned how to play the piano and cello at a young age. She was also a novice artist like her father.

Carolyn moved around in Texas (Beaumont, Corpus Christi, Fort Worth) until she finally settled down in Midland, Texas where she was first introduced to the Deaf community and learned American Sign Language (Max and Dorothy Floyd). It was also in Midland where she met her best friend, Janice Tankersley while they both worked as beatuticians. She would be fully ingrained in the Deaf Culture for the rest of her life. It was in Midland when she met her husband, Wayne Cockerham. Together they had one child, David Wayne Cockerham-O’Donnell.

Carolyn was introduced at a young age to Jesus, and she became a believer and was baptized when she was 15 years old. All her life, she loved the Lord God with all her heart and and her mind and her strength. She loved to tell people about Jesus and His good news. She was active in First Baptist Church in Midland, Central Baptist Church in Big Spring, and Charlotte Deaf Mission in Charlotte, North Carolina. She had a servant heart and was a blessing to many people in her life. However, she was a huge blessing to the little ones as she loved babies and young children. She dedicated her time in the First Baptist Church of Midland nursery in caring for the babies and toddlers. She developed a very special bond with many of the children she took care of over the years (the Campbell family (Alicia, Michelle, Aaron, and Kevin), Tankersley family (Ainslee and the Worley girls), and many others).

She loved her family. She loved her daughters-in-law: Nidia Cockerham-O’Donnell and Erin Rhoden. The biggest joys in her life were her grandchildren. She was so proud of them and bragged about them all the time. Ethan James Kordell, Katriel “Katie” Nedivya Moriah, Ayrianna Naysa Elisheva, Ani Dundee Taliah, Caleb Josiah Nathaniel, Isabella Ruth Valedine, Sean Patrick Eion, and Haskell Zackory Cockerham-O’Donnell. She kept all of them close to her heart and at the front of her speech.

On May 22, 2023, she had fallen asleep and awakened to see her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Soon, we will all see her again in glory.

Visitation will be 9 AM until 9 PM with family receiving friends from 6 PM until 8 PM at Myers & Smith Funeral Home. 

Arrangements are by Myers & Smith Funeral Home. Pay your respects online at www.myersandsmith.com