Services scheduled for Geyserville school superintendent

Geyserville Unified School District Superintendent Joseph Francis Carnation, Jr., died April 3 in Santa Rosa. He was 78.

Carnation was a husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, teacher, principal, superintendent and friend to many, known best for his quiet presence.

He was born in Boston and served in the United States Marine Corps before enrolling at Santa Rosa Junior College. He went on to receive his bachelors degree from Sonoma State and Master’s degree from San Francisco State.

Carnation spent his entire career in Sonoma County, starting as a teacher in Petaluma and Sebastopol. He served as vice principal in Forestville, principal-superintendent in Occidental and superintendent in Sebastopol before retiring in 1980.

Soon after, he came out of retirement to help Geyserville United School District as the interim superintendent. Over the years he took the district through changes that included the recent transformation of Geyserville High School into Geyserville New Tech Academy.

Carnation always said he felt Geyserville was the “jewel in the crown of the Sonoma County School system,” and Geyserville residents considered him their four-star general. For his efforts, he was named “Schoolmaster of the Year” in 1989 and, in 2013, was Geyserville’s nominee for the “Spirit of Sonoma” award.

School administrators said they plan to honor Carnation and beloved teacher Brad Goodhart, who died suddenly in January.

Services celebrating Joseph Francis Carnation Sr., followed by a light luncheon, are planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 11, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, 8100 Valentine Ave., Sebastopol.

- Deborah Rust