Passed away with family by her side on March 23, 2021 at the age of 79. Born in Honolulu, Hawaii, on December 22, 1941 where her father was stationed as Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, she evacuated with her mother to Ft. Mason, San Francisco where she was met by the media and dubbed “the Black-out Baby.” Anita’s picture was featured in Newsweek and Life magazines, and made front page news as the first baby born after the attack while Honolulu still had no electricity.
She spent part of her childhood in upstate New York with her mother and aunt until rejoining her father after the war. The family eventually returned to Hawaii and later settled in Oxnard. She met her husband Jim in 1959 while attending Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. After Jim graduated, they married in April 1961 and briefly settled in Pasadena. In 1963, they relocated to Santa Rosa. While Jim worked as an engineer, Anita raised her children and attended Sonoma State University, graduating with a BA in English.
In 1971, they moved to a small farm in Healdsburg with prunes and grapes and became immersed in the renaissance of the Sonoma County wine industry. Anita continued her studies to obtain a Teacher’s Credential and taught part-time in local schools. She was proud of her German ancestry and made several trips to Germany where she met numerous relatives and went on to chronicle a history of both her mother and father’s families. In 1996 she assisted with the planning and building of Forchini Vineyards & Winery, where she worked fulfilling many responsibilities until her recent retirement. She was an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, the Dry Creek Neighbor’s Club, the Russian River and Dry Creek Winegrowers, the Dry Creek Valley Association, the Geyserville Chamber of Commerce and active in her Book Club.
She was soft spoken, gentle, kind, generous, a loving mother, a supportive and devoted hard-working wife, and a meticulous housekeeper with excellent cooking skills. She loved reading and gardening where she grew multiple varieties of roses and plants and was the major landscape designer for both home and winery. She enjoyed European travel and culture and together with her husband made annual trips each year after harvest. She had deep compassion for our agricultural workers and the homeless. She also loved attending SF Giants games with her family.
She is survived by Jim Forchini, her husband of 65 years, her three children Michael Forchini of Arcata, Carla Forchini of Healdsburg, and Andrew Forchini (Caitlin) of Windsor, her sister Kathleen Matson (Steve) of Pasadena, her four grandchildren (Sierra, Beau, Paolo and Donovan) and numerous nieces and nephews. A private family burial will be held at Olive Hill Cemetery in Geyserville, followed by a later scheduled Celebration of Life at the winery. She will be tremendously missed by friends and family.
