Carolyn Cannon (Shetzler) Foraker

Carolyn Cannon (Shetzler) Foraker passed away peacefully on Thursday, April 2, 2026, in her home, surrounded by her loving family, after a courageous battle with progressive supranuclear palsy.

Carolyn was born in Townsend, Delaware on February 29, 1936, a “Leap Year Baby,” and was the youngest child of the late John Elmer Shetzler Sr. and Margaret Anna (Barber) Shetzler. She grew up in the small farming community of Taylors Bridge, and lived in the Taylors Bridge Lighthouse where her father served as Lighthouse Keeper. She attended the Taylors Bridge one-room schoolhouse as a child and later graduated from John Bassett Moore High School in Smyrna, Delaware in 1954.

She married the love of her life, Robert Arthur “Artie” Foraker, and they shared nearly 50 years of marriage until his passing in 2006. Together they raised four children in their happy, love-filled home near the small town of Port Penn, Delaware.

Carolyn was a strong and independent woman with many talents. In her early years, she first worked as a bookkeeper for S & S Products in Smyrna and then New Castle County Recorder of Deeds. Carolyn and Artie were a true team. In the 1960s they established Foraker Plumbing and Heating and Foraker Water Company, two successful and respected small businesses they operated for many years.

Carolyn and her daughter, Yvonne later co-owned The Bouquet Shoppe, a well-known and trusted florist in Middletown, Delaware. They worked side by side for 25 years surrounded by beauty and love. They spent their days together doing what they enjoyed most—designing floral arrangements for weddings, proms, holidays, birthdays, and funerals; attending design and trade shows; and keeping up with the latest trends. Over the years their loyal clients became their friends, and Carolyn, who truly loved people, cherished every connection.

After selling the floral business, Carolyn retired—but only briefly. She soon became bored with retirement and accepted a part time position as a receptionist at the Blood Bank of Delaware, a role she thoroughly enjoyed until her full retirement in 2014.

Carolyn embraced life and found joy in many things. She enjoyed gardening, sewing, traveling, reading, shopping, and especially cooking and entertaining. Her Christmas Eve dinners became a cherished tradition, with her home always full of family and friends.

She also loved to dance. Carolyn and Artie delighted in the chance to dance and were a joy to watch on the dance floor! At the age of 80, she finally decided she was old enough to join the MOT Senior Center. Pinochle Wednesdays became part of her weekly routine, and she always looked forward to spending time with her card friends.

Carolyn was a visionary. As president of the Port Penn Civic Association, she brought the Marshland Festival to life, a fundraising event promoting local history and environmental awareness. She was also instrumental in developing the Middletown Peach Festival. Through her legislative efforts, she helped secure a much-needed waste management system for the town of Port Penn.

She was a member of the Port Penn Ladies Auxiliary and one of the first certified Ambulance Attendants in Delaware. Carolyn was a devoted member of Port Penn Presbyterian Church.

She was predeceased by her parents and her husband; her siblings, Margaret Marie Winder and John E. Shetzler Jr.; and her cherished granddaughters, Melissa Lyn and Kristen Anne Foraker.

Carolyn is survived by her devoted children and their spouses: Yvonne Coleman (Don), Carol Johnson (Gary), Bob Foraker (Betty), and Jeff Foraker (Bobbi); cherished grandchildren: Don Jr. (Anne), Matt (Cara), and Jon Jesse Coleman; Chris Johnson (Emily), Kelli Seyfert (Tim), and Joel Johnson (Amber); Erin, Leanne, and Jamie Foraker (Jennifer); step-grandchildren, Rebecca Coleman and Elizabeth Poyner; adored great-grandchildren, Emma, Julia, and Grant Coleman; Avery Lussow, Jeffrey Brown, Liam Waltz; and James Foraker; and step-great grandchildren, Jace Whittington, Sarah and Rachel Deem, Lily and Johnathan Coleman, Aaron and Matt Evans, Grace Jarrett, and Addyson and Abel Starkey. She also leaves behind her beloved nieces and nephew, many wonderful friends, and two dedicated caregivers who were an incredible blessing to her and her family.

Carolyn loved her family and her friends. She was the heart of the family. We will miss her presence, her wit, her wisdom, her generosity, and the love she brought to every gathering. She taught us by example, and we will remember her life with love, joy, a bit of humor, and deep gratitude. Carolyn was a gift from God, and we will carry those precious memories with us forever.

A visitation for family and friends will be held from 11 am until 12 pm on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, at Spicer-Mullikin Funeral Home, 275 East Main Street, Middletown, DE, where a funeral service will begin at 12 pm. Interment will follow in Old Drawyers Cemetery, 2839 DuPont Parkway, Middletown, DE.