Naomi Ruth “Connie” Silliman
July 8, 1941 - May 2, 2026
Naomi Ruth “Connie” Silliman, 84, of Salt Lake City, UT passed away peacefully at St. Mark’s Hospital on May 2, 2026, surrounded by family members and friends.
Connie was born on July 8, 1941, in Hemet, CA, to the late Nellie Estelle (Adams) and Thomas Martin Constance. She lived a life marked by kindness, generosity, and an unwavering devotion to the art of sewing and quilting. She was a loving wife, mom, grandma, sister, aunt, and friend.
She attended Nyack College in NY and met her future husband at the University of Utah. Connie married Howard Jeffrey “Jeff ” Silliman on August 19, 1966, at Wasatch Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City, UT.
Connie faithfully served in the role of a Presbyterian pastor’s wife at Valley Community Presbyterian Church in Richfield, UT; Mt. Olympus Presbyterian Church in Holladay, UT; and Cottonwood Presbyterian Church in Murray, UT. She worked for Intermountain Bookstore and also had her own wedding dress design, tailoring, and doll making business called “Connie’s Creations.” She was an avid reader and was involved with Reviewers Club.
Connie was passionate about quilting and sewing. She dearly loved being a member of the Square Corners Quilt Group. She donated her time to teach a sewing class in San Bernardino, CA while living there for a few years. Her beautiful works of art are scattered throughout the world with family, friends, and the churches she attended.
She is survived by two daughters, Sara Cavin (Darby) of Cosmopolis, WA; Amy Silliman (Bryon) of Auckland, New Zealand; three granddaughters, Pascal Silliman of Auckland, New Zealand; Bryn Cavin and Kendall Cavin of Aberdeen, WA; one sister, Pat Russell of Millcreek, UT; two brothers, Tom Constance (Wynona) of Burns, TN; and John Constance (Judy) of Indian Land, SC. Her husband, Jeff, passed away soon after her death on May 18, 2026.
In lieu of flowers, we encourage you to honor Connie’s legacy by donating to Project Linus or the Utah Refugee Connection. A celebration of Connie’s life will be held at a future time. She will be dearly missed.
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!
In Loving Memory
We’re blessed to have known Connie. She’s enriched our life with the beautiful gift of our daughter in law, Amy. Connie became a dear friend. She is greatly missed. Forever in our hearts. 💕
Marlene & Bill Wright
Tucson, AZ
My grandma's legacy is of love. She passed her passion for sewing onto one of her daughters, Amy and her granddaughter Pascal. I will remember extremely fondly my childhood spent growing up in her sewing room, eating snacks, watching a movie and crafting together. She loved humming birds and having a flower garden. She liked going to Jo-Annes and would always come along on whichever adventure I wanted to do. She was a very good cook, always putting the effort and time into making a meal for the family. She loved her husband, her daughters and her grand-daughters dearly. I will miss her beyond words.
Pascal Silliman
Auckland, New Zealand
I was very blessed to have Connie as my aunt. A cherished memory comes to mind: when I was a child and Connie was working at the Intermountain Christian Bookstore, she would share her French Fries with me and chat with me while played in the back room! I’m also comforted by the memories of our many family Sunday roast dinners at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, especially in the summer where we all sat outside chatting for hours on the back porch. Connie was our wedding coordinator at our wedding; she kept everything moving along, kept everyone in line, and still managed to laugh at the antics of our groomsmen. Of course my most treasured gift from her was a prayer blanket and pink ribbon quilt that she gave me when I went through cancer treatment. Knowing that she prayed for me through my treatment was the greatest blessing she could have given me and those prayers were very much felt and carried me through that challenging time in my life. I loved Connie’s distinctive laugh and her beautiful smile and her generous heart. We will dearly miss her! With love and prayers of peace and comfort, Nicole and Doug Custer
Nicole and Doug Custer
Lake Forest Park, WA
Connie and Jeff were our neighbors in Richfield, UT. when we had our first child. We have been friends for over 50 years. Connie taught me so much about motherhood and sewing and cooking, she was a wonderful friend. No matter where they lived we always stayed in touch. Jeff and Connie were such good listeners and gave such wise advice. It was difficult for Connie these last few years. Jeff was suffering from Alzheimer’s and I know it put such a heavy weight on Connie’s shoulders. Their journey is now over and they both can rest together peacefully!! They will be missed!!
Ronna Leyba
Salt Lake City, Utah
Dear Silliman family, your Mom was so enjoyable to be around. She had a great sense of humor she share with square corner quilters. She shared her wisdom too. She is deeply missed.
Connie Howard
Salt Lake City, UT