We lost a very loving, caring man on Monday, April 9, 2018. God has taken him and rid him of all pain.
Bob Goodenough was born on Dec. 12, 1935, to Harold Adelbert Goodenough and Ferne Octavia (Barber) in Yakima, Wash., second of 11 children. They moved to the Grays Harbor area and eventually settled in the Wishkah Valley.
Bob was a standout athlete/scholar at Wishkah High School, holding county records in track and field. He was on many championship Wishkah football and basketball teams. Many people remember him hitting a hook shot at the buzzer to beat Ocosta for the league championship to go on to district. He graduated from Wishkah High School in 1953 and took some classes at Grays Harbor College and WSU.
After graduating he went into the Army, took medical corpsman training at Brooks Medical in San Antonio, Texas, and was shipped out to Korea. His ship arrived in Pusan Harbor but was redirected, and he was reassigned to Sendai, Japan. After returning from Japan, he married the love of his life Sharon Ann Perry of Neilton on Aug. 30, 1958. She survives him at the family home in Aberdeen. Almost 60 years was not nearly enough time to spend together. They have three children, Vernon of Cosmopolis, Karen of Aberdeen and Randy of Hoquiam, and three wonderful grandchildren, Daniel, Marissa and Cameron, with whom he spent a lot of time.
He started working at age 8, milking cows, haying, farming, cascara peeling and anything else to help take care of the family. He worked for the Bednarik family and Mrs. Bednarik tried to fatten him up and always said he was too skinny. He worked at Truck & Tractor and Harbor Plywood before applying and getting a job at Weyerhaeuser, where he started out as a cleanup man and ended his career after 40 years as a Maintenance Supervisor of the Aberdeen Sawmill. In the ‘70s he did a lot of traveling for the company throughout the country. He especially enjoyed his time back East and in the South, visiting all the Civil War or other historical sites. He was always a hard worker sometimes putting in 20 hour days to get a job done. But he always had time for his family, whether his kids or his brothers and sisters.
He was a longtime coach of baseball for the Aberdeen youth leagues. Coaching for Failor’s Little League team, Failor’s and Graystone Babe Ruth, Longshore, Evans Products, Rosie’s and Merchants Senior Babe Ruth and many All Star tournament teams. He was out of coaching for a while but was recalled by Vern when Danny started playing. He made himself available to any boy who came and asked for pitching tips, even helping evaluate pitchers when asked by Tim Wahl at Grays Harbor College.
In his 40+ years he helped coach hundreds of boys and had some drafted by major league teams. He was also inducted into the Southwest Washington Babe Ruth Hall of Fame in 1993. His love of baseball was lifelong and luckily shared by his wife who he joked saw more games than he did. This love extended to being one of the original syndicate that brought professional baseball back to Aberdeen — the Grays Harbor Ports, which became the Loggers and won a division championship in 1978.
After retirement he and Sharon hit the road in the RV and had many adventures attending spring training in Arizona for eight years and many other places. No historical marker was ever passed on any of his travels. He kept busy watching sports, any kind of puzzles, fishing, crabbing, woodworking, doing yard work, reading, especially western, Civil War or old time baseball. Chasing after and enjoying spending time with his grandkids was his reward for a life of hard work.
He was a gentle giant with a heart of gold and a very dry sense of humor, who touched many lives in his life. He was a very private, caring individual who quietly took care of people. Many times he provided Christmas for families he knew were having a tough time and counseled people who worked for him and anyone else he thought needed help.
At the end Bob had a wonderful caregiver who helped take great care of him. She would always ask what he wanted for lunch and would fix anything he wanted. One time he detailed out exactly how to make a sandwich with two pieces of fried Spam and about a half inch of peanut butter. She laughed, made it and he said it was good.
He was very lucky during his illness to be able to ride the GH transit buses. A lot of the drivers were former ballplayers who took special care of him, helping him on and off on his bad days and always getting him talking baseball.
Bob was proceeded in death by his parents; sisters Marjorie Goodenough, Vivian Stauffer and Evelyn Ward of Aberdeen; brothers Don of Lynnwood and Allen of Hoquiam. He is survived by his wife, grandchildren, sisters Sharon Pauley and Marilyn Peters of Aberdeen, Kathy Jezek of Tacoma, Kay (Dave) Bushey of Vancouver, and Lonnie Copper of Satsop. Cousins Dick, Ruth, Mary, Kay, and Anne and numerous nieces, nephews and greats.
Visitation will be held from 1-6 p.m. on Friday, April 20, 2018, in the Chapel at Harrison Family Mortuary, 311 West Market Street, Aberdeen.
Private Burial will be held April 21, at 11 a.m. at St. John’s Cemetery in the Wishkah Valley. A celebration of life will be held April 21, 3 p.m at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1200 Soule Ave Hoquiam, Wash. Catered and potluck reception to follow.
Arrangements are made by Harrison Family Mortuary.
BASEBALL IN HEAVEN
Two ninety year old men, Sam and Moe, have been friends all their lives. It seems that Sam is dying, so Moe comes to visit him. “Sam” says Moe, “You know how we have both loved baseball all our lives. Sam, you gotta’ do me one favor. When you go, somehow you’ve got to tell me if there’s baseball in Heaven.” Sam looks up at Moe and from his deathbed says, “Moe, you’ve been my friend many years. This favor I’ll do for you.” And with that, Sam passes on. It is midnight a couple nights later. Moe is sound asleep when a distant voice call out to him, “Moe … Moe…”
“Who is it?” say Moe sitting up suddenly, “Who is it?”
“Moe, it’s Sam”
“Come on. You’re not Sam. Sam died”
“I’m telling you,” insists the voice, “it’s me Sam!”
“Sam? Is that you? Where are you?
“I’m in Heaven,” says Sam, “and I’ve got to tell you, I’ve got some good news and some bad news”.
“Tell me the good news first,” says Moe.
“The good news,” says Sam, “is that there is baseball in Heaven.”
“Really?” says Moe. “That’s wonderful! What’s the bad news?”
“You’re pitching on Tuesday.”
