Carolyn Yvonne Young, of Fitzgerald, Georgia, went to be with the Lord on June 6, 2026, at 12:15 p.m. in Mount Dora, Florida.

Born Ruby Caroline Young on November 18, 1934, at the Florida Hospital and Sanitarium in Orlando, Florida, she was the daughter of the late Walter Jesse and Alice Mildred Young. Carolyn raised four children as a proud single parent: Edwin O'Neal Smith (deceased), Tami Sue Essmyer, Michael Joseph Bufis Jr. (deceased), and Dana Lamar Bufis.

She worked as a statistician for Martin Marietta (now Lockheed Martin) for more than 25 years. Demonstrating an extraordinary work ethic, she attended night school at Valencia Community College and later earned a bachelor's degree in business from Florida Southern University, all while balancing her full-time career and raising her family. Following her retirement from Martin Marietta in 1994, she relocated to Fitzgerald, Georgia.

Carolyn possessed a deep love for music and learned to play the piano at a young age. Despite a severe accident at age twelve that caused terrible nerve damage to her left hand, her determination and faith allowed her to rise above her disability. She went on to serve as the pianist for the Orange Avenue Church of God in Orlando for many years.

She was also an accomplished seamstress, often sewing the beautiful dresses she wore while playing for the congregation. Her work ethic developed early; at age 13, when money was tight for school clothes, she contracted with her grandfather, Buford Clower, to pick cotton on his Georgia farm. Through her hard work that summer, she earned enough to buy the materials needed to sew her own wardrobe for the upcoming school year.

Her passion for singing began in the glee club at William R. Boone High School and continued throughout her life, most notably with the choir at Calvary Assembly of God in Winter Park, Florida.

Carolyn deeply believed God called her to children’s ministry. In the 1970s, she began teaching Bible stories using a flannelgraph board, visiting various Orlando neighborhoods door-to-door to reach children who could not attend church. This eventually inspired her to launch a bus ministry. Though her first Sunday began with only one child riding in a 1972 Chevy Suburban, Carolyn was undeterred. Within a year, her ministry grew so significantly that the church had to purchase a surplus Orange County school bus to accommodate the crowds. Carolyn was a devout Christian, and her lifelong dedication to others was a true testament to her faith.

Carolyn is survived by her children, Tami Sue Essmyer and Dana Lamar Bufis Sr., as well as nine grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her sons, Edwin O'Neal Smith and Michael Joseph Bufis Jr.

A remembrance of life will be held in Mount Dora on June 26, 2026. Please RSVP to remembering_carolyn_young@startmail.com for additional details.