Capt. Richard William Goode

    Goode, Capt. Richard W., 89, September 17, 2011.
    Capt. Richard (Dick) William Goode (RET, USCG), 89, of Virginia Beach, VA passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 17th.
    Dick was born in Bangor, ME on October 24, 1921. He was the son of William J. and Gladys Nason Goode. He grew up in Aroostook County, ME attending a one room school, until high school. For high school he attended Ricker Academy in Houlton, ME.
    His dream was to attend the Coast Guard Academy which was postponed one year while he attended Bowdoin College in Brunswick, ME. He graduated from the Coast Guard Academy in June of 1944, class of 1945.
    He served in the Pacific theater during WWII, and continued his Coast Guard career for a total of 30 years. During his Coast Guard career he attended MIT for postgraduate studies in naval engineering. He taught electrical and nuclear engineering at the Coast Guard Academy where he had the honor of being class advisor for the class of ’62. He participated in the design, and launching of a new Coast Guard cutter class. He closed out his 30 years as the CO of the Coast Guard Yard in Curtis Bay, MD where he was named Boss of the Year by year by the local National Secretaries Association. He also received the Coast Guard Commendation Medal in 1974 for directing a shoreline construction program that spanned Connecticut, Long Island, and New Jersey.
    East Lyme, CT was chosen as his retirement destination. He remained in East Lyme until relocating to Atlantic Shores Retirement Community in Virginia Beach, VA in 2006.
    For a second career, Dick started teaching at the Avery Point campus of the University of Connecticut in Groton, CT. He taught engineering and computer science for 11 years, becoming a tenured professor. Upon his retirement from the University of Connecticut, he filled his time giving back to his community. He was very active in his church, St John’s Episcopal in Niantic, CT. At St John’s he was a member of the vestry, and managed the church’s parish hall reconstruction after the original structure was severely damaged by fire. He was a member of the East Lyme Library Foundation and Historical Society board of directors. He volunteered at the Coast Guard Museum.
    Dick was a member of the Society of Naval Engineers, and a licensed Professional Engineer.
    Dick is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 65 years, Mary Lee Minter; his son, David W. Goode and wife Liz Rogers of Portland, OR; daughter, Deborah L. Goode-Jones and husband Ellis M. Jones of Norfolk, VA; brother-in-law William O. Minter, Jr. and wife Jeri of Chester, NJ; sister-in-law Margaret A. Goode of Sudbury, MA; grandchildren, Mary Lee and her husband, David Shumate, of Norfolk, VA, Sydney and Ben Verd of Wilsonville, OR, Tanner Rogers-Goode of Chicago, IL, Chris and Kelly Jones of Chesapeake, VA, Brian Jones of Virginia Beach, VA, Jeff Jones of Virginia Beach, VA; great-grandchildren, Micah Shumate, Tessa Jones, and Courtney Leonard; nieces, Katie Goode, Liz Dowd, Sarah Kjellman, and Gay Ann Larson; nephew, Scott Minter; and a host of many close friends.
    Dick is preceded in death by his mother and father, his mother and father-in-law, Mary Lee and William O. Minter; and his brother, Robert E. Goode.
    There will be a memorial service at St John’s Episcopal Church, 400 Main Street, Niantic, CT 06357 on Thursday October 6th at 2 pm. The Reverend Elizabeth Page Rogers will officiate. The family will receive friends in the parish hall immediately following the service. Another memorial service will be conducted on Saturday, October 8th at 10:45 a.m. in the first floor great room at Habourway, on the campus of Atlantic Shores Retirement Community, 1200 Atlantic Shores Drive, Virginia Beach, VA 23454. The Reverend John D. Rohrs will officiate. All questions regarding the memorial services can be directed to Debbie Goode-Jones at 1111 Manchester Ave., Norfolk, VA 23508, 757.407.5806.
    In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Parkinson Disease Association (http:\www.apdaparkinson.org).
    The family would like to express a heart felt thank you to all the staff at Atlantic Shore AIL, Wellness Clinic, Harbourway, and Seaside for the tender, loving, and compassionate care they provided Dick over the past 5 years.
    Dick Goode had a good and full life. He will be missed by all. He leaves us with fond and lasting memories. He will live in our hearts forever.