Sunday, February 8, 2009

RIP Jim Goodrich

GOODRICH -- James R. "Jim" Goodrich, 81, of Albuquerque, died February 7, 2009 after a three-year battle with cancer. A retired librarian, Jim was an aficionado of Jazz, Cinema, Art, Pulp Fiction, Mysteries, and Comics; and an active supporter of numerous progressive causes and candidates. His intelligence, dry sense of humor, and patronage of numerous local restaurants, bookstores, and other establishments earned him many friends and admirers in the area. Jim was born in Toledo, Ohio, on September 12, 1927, the son of the late J.R. and Florence Goodrich. He earned a Bachelor's degree from the University of Toledo and a Master's of Library Science from Rutgers University. In 1990 he retired after more than 20 years as a librarian at the State University of New York at New Paltz and moved to Albuquerque. Jim is survived by his daughter, Jill Goodrich, and her husband, Kevin O'Connell, of Silver Spring, Maryland; his son Victor Goodrich of Philadelphia; his sister and brother-in-law, Lois and Edward Betts, of Northridge, California; his nephews, Tom Betts and Terry Betts, of California; and his niece, Ellen Betts, of Arizona. He was predeceased by his son Scott in 1974. Burial will take place at a date to be determined in New Paltz, New York. Donations in Jim's name may be made to Presbyterian Healthcare Services (Albuquerque) Hospice division, the American Cancer Society, Planned Parenthood, or any environmental or wildlife charity.

My uncle was an avid European film fan and we had many conversations over the years on the subject. He was a constant supporter of me and WAI!. Often I would receive clippings that he would send me from Variety and other various newspapers and magazines about European westerns and the people involved in them. I know he would get a great kick out of seeing his obituary published in WAI! so here's to you Uncle Jim thanks for your years of encouragement and support. You will be missed.

4 comments:

  1. Tom,

    Sorry to hear about this, amigo.
    He sounds like a better than swell guy!
    My condolences.

    Sincerely,
    Chris

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  2. RIP "Uncle" Jim Goodrich :o)
    Must have been great having a relative that held something of the same interest in films as you..

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  3. Now that was a great uncle! My condolences.

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  4. I say this not as a bill clinton cliche when I say that I feel your pain tom.I saw an old friend layed to rest yesterday and at age eighty eight he had a full dark head of hair that hollywood actors when they hit fifty would have killed for.I have a comical uncle I seen yesterday after I seen my friend layed out for I needed a good chuckle.My uncle jim is a gemini like me and I pride myself on windy stories but I am in the third grade for windy stories compared to uncle jim.Old uncle jim starts out by saying that when he was young and would enter the bar,ten men would run out the back door so fearful were they of the fury of his furious fistacuff abilities.He says that the last indian tribe and what tribe they were I don't know left here in indiana county in 1905 and camped om my ancestors farm.Old chief weatherfield was 109 years old when he died and they were down to 17 indians left.The chief died in the night and the rest of the tribe left at dawn,no one knows where,mebbe canada.I googled in desperation to want to believe the weatherfield story but my county was out of indians,even tame ones seventy five years before 1905.Like tom,if uncle jim goes before me I am sure gonna miss him.He has sure entertained me my entire life.

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