Carman Eleanor Silvershield Formway

Carman Formway, 93, of Santa Rosa, died peacefully at home on November 19, 2025.
Carman was born February 13, 1932, in a much smaller Santa Rosa, to Vernon and Eleanor Silvershield. A Santa Rosa girl through and through, Carman was proud of her father, a reporter and photographer for the Press Democrat, who was also Publicity Director for the Sonoma County Fair and later served as Sonoma County Coroner and Public Administrator.
When Carman was 12, she remembered riding her bike to watch the filming of "Shadow of a Doubt," in which her classmate, Edna Mae Wonacott starred. Her own first job that year was as an extra in the film "Happy Land" starring Don Ameche and Sandra Dee, filmed in Healdsburg.
Carman and her older brother, Vernon Jr. attended Fremont Elementary School, Santa Rosa Jr. High and Santa Rosa High School, where she was a proud member of the class of 1949.
Carman's greatest ambition was to become a wife and mother. After graduating from high school, she attended Burbank Business College, then married her high school sweetheart, Lee Formway. The couple had four children and enjoyed happy times celebrating birthdays and holidays, backyard barbecues, attending the Rose Parade and Sonoma County Fair, and water skiing at Lake Mendocino.
Carman's interests included learning cake decorating and piano lessons in her 20's and learning to sew in her 30's.
She had many longtime friends including Shirley (Winkler) Fitzgerald, Carol (Riley) Hartley, Fern (Fowler) and Jim Reaney, Nancy (Garrett) and Bill Henthorn, Jeanne (Annette) and Merle Cook, sister-in-law Zaida and brother-in-law Al Cerini, sister-in-law June Silvershield, Dorothy and Dick Burian, Nancy and Dick Stephan, Diane Reaney, Barbara and Bob Jordan and Maaza Belata and Solomon Tesfai.
In 1966, Carman went to work for the Press Democrat as a switchboard operator and later worked in the circulation department. After her marriage ended in 1972, she went to work at Community Hospital. She later worked for Liberty Temporaries and was once honored as Employee of the Year, for her long service to the company. Her last assignment was to the Salvation Army, where she worked until she retired.
Carman dearly loved her grandchildren, Jesse Atkinson, erica Formway, Samuel Birch, Jordan Atkinson, and Nolan and Rylee Formway and enjoyed spending time with them. She was also "Grandma Carman" to Genet Mehari, Senait Tesfai, and Nazareth Tesfai.
In retirement, Carman found love again, and was engaged to LaVern "Skip" Waters, whom she met when they were in second grade. Skip loved babies as much as Carman did and they enjoyed their grandchildren and great grandchildren until Skip passed away in 2003.
In 2014 Carman vacationed in Hawaii with her daughter and son-in-law, Janice and Michael Morrissey. It was the trip of a lifetime and an experience she would never forget. She is remembered for the colorful muumuu's she wore for the rest of her life.
Carman will always be remembered for her love of her family and friends, the special cakes she baked and decorated, her fried chicken and potato salad and the rolls she burned, without fail at Thanksgiving. Carman's memory will live on in the hearts of all who loved her.
Carman is predeceased by her parents and brother and many dear friends. She is survived by her children JoAnn "Jodi" Formway, Janice Morrissey, Vernon Formway and Nancy Birch, grandchildren Jesse Atkinson (Kristine), erica Formway, Samuel Birch (Melissa), Jordan Atkinson, Nolan Formway and Rylee Formway. She is also survived by her great-grandchildren Matthew Birch, Zachary Birch, Emalee King, Ruby Atkinson, Ivy Atkinson and Eloise Formway-Wong, as well as her nieces and nephews Linda Cerini Arthur (Dennis), Allan Cerini (Pam), Bill Silvershield (Joan) and Shelley Silvershield Whalen (Brian).
A memorial service will be held December 15, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at First Congregational Church (UCC), 2000 Humboldt St., Santa Rosa, CA 95404. Donations in Carman's memory may be made to the Santa Rosa High School Foundation, P.O. Box 11006, Santa Rosa, CA 95406.