Carolyn Brocato Dunman Harris

The world lost some of its light when Carolyn Brocato Dunman Harris passed away December 15th at 8:00 AM.   Many years before, on January 2nd of an unknown year, Carolyn Brocato was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana to Joe Brocato and Francis Gilley Brocato.  Carolyn was always discreet about her age and every year she claimed it was her 29th birthday so we have decided to continue to leave her age a mystery.  Carolyn had two older brothers, Frank James Brocato, AKA “Frankgootza” and Jerry Joseph Brocato, AKA BayBay.  Carolyn went to Lake Charles High School and was proud to be a Kiltie. 

One fateful, cold, rainy night, Carolyn saw a handsome, young man from a distance in another car.  The two locked eyes and the young man, Brian Celt Dunman, asked for her phone number through the window.  She read his lips and then used the condensation from the window to write her phone number with her finger.  Never thinking he would call her; she was surprised to hear the phone ring when she returned home.  From that moment on, she had a lifelong devotion to her tall, dark, and handsome Brian.  They married and had two children, Michelle Dunman Humphreys and Brian Craig Dunman.

Carolyn was a natural trailblazer and we think she ushered in the term “soccer mom” before it was popular.  She drove Craig and Michelle all around Lake Charles- taking them to football games, cheerleading practice, dance lessons, baseball games, and any kind of unique lessons she thought they might need.  She was completely devoted to Brian and worked with him in his industrial scale business, Coastal States Scales. 

Someone that must be mentioned in Carolyn’s life story is her mother, Francis.  When you saw one, you saw the other.  They       were two peas in a pod and did everything together.  Carolyn loved spending time with her huge, Italian family, and they gathered weekly for good food, fun, and fellowship.  If someone in the family had an event, the entire clan showed up.  It was one big happy family and Carolyn loved all of them.

Carolyn may have had a mystery birth date, but we know with certainty that she was born again in 1983 when she asked Jesus Christ to be her Lord and Savior.  The name Carolyn means strong and from that moment on, she embodied her name with a new strength given to her by the Holy Spirit.  Carolyn would need this strength for the next chapter of her life, as she tragically became a widow in her thirties. 

Upon the sudden passing of Carolyn’s cherished Brian, Carolyn had to reinvent herself and she became a businesswoman.  She later found happiness again and married J.W. Harris. They moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where Carolyn worked at a Fortune 500 Company called Concord EFS where she was the national sales manager.  She used her God given gift to encourage others on the sales staff all over the United States.  Concord EFS even had a national Mrs. Carolyn Day to honor her because she was so popular with everyone in the company.

Carolyn’s kids, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, family and friends were not perfect, but you knew better than to tell her that!  She was fiercely loyal and a true friend.  She saw potential in everyone and had a true servant’s heart and gift to encourage others.  Carolyn later moved home to Lake Charles to take care of her beloved mom, dad, and stepdad until their passing. She never wavered in her steadfast loyalty to them.  Carolyn was an example to all who knew her of the loyal love of Jesus.

Carolyn is proceeded in death by her mom, dad, stepfather, Charles Henry Silas, her brother, Jerry Brocato, and most recently her sister-in-law, Diane Wesley Brocato.  She leaves behind to celebrate her life her husband, J.W. Harris, her brother, Frank Brocato and her sister-in-law Linda Brocato, her son and daughter-in-law, Craig and Becky Dunman, her daughter and son-in-law, Michelle and Troy Humphreys; her grandchildren:  Joshua and Maria Humphreys and their son David Humphreys, Abigail and Chance Buchanan-Humphreys, Lauren Dunman and her daughter, Elisabeth Claire Jaimes, Cody Dunman, Caroline Anne “Annie” Humphreys, Abbigale Grace Dunman, Mike and Karen Harris, Michael Colton Harris, Ashlyn and Blake Lynn and their son, Cash and Mason. Debbie and Tony Robin, grandkids Chad Harris. Colby Robin daughter Julianna Robin, Brandon Harris, Glenda Lenderman-Harris, David and Patricia Harris, Amanda White, and daughters, Madison and Hailey-Ann, Kyle Kilgore, and Joshua White. Daughter Avery Harris, Jonathan and Breanna Harris, Children Tyler and Mia Harris and Hunter Robin, Laura Harris, Mark Saucier and Jessica Saucier, Arriona Yocham, Declan Youcham, Adeline Yocham, and Shaun Saucier.  Carolyn also leaves behind multiple beloved nieces and nephews, her best friend and cousin, Cynthia Harrington and her husband Ray, as well as countless family and friends. 

Carolyn’s celebration of life services will be held at 10:00 AM Saturday, December 19, 2020 at Johnson Funeral Home of Moss Bluff. Reverend Sullivan Turner will officiate. Interment services will follow at Consolata Cemetery.  Visitation Friday will be from 5:30 PM until 8:30 PM and will continue Saturday from 8:00 AM until the time of service in the funeral home in Moss Bluff.

In accordance with state regulations, attendees for visitation and services are respectfully requested to wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines.

Carolyn leaves behind a legacy of life, love, laughter, and friendship and will be truly missed.