Richard Samuel Goode, Jr.

Memorial graveside services for Richard Samuel Goode, Jr., 89, of Gladewater, will be held on Saturday, January 18, 2014, at 11 A.M. at Gladewater Memorial Park with Reverend Roger Gage officiating. Born on November 28, 1924 in Bridgeport, Texas, he died on Thursday, January 9, 2014. After graduating from Bridgeport, Texas schools in 1942, Goode served in World War II as a sergeant in the Army field artillery. He attended Decatur (now Dallas) Baptist College, for two years and then earned his bachelor of science in education at North Texas State in 1950. After working several jobs including gas company field work and insurance investigating, he landed his first classroom job in Orange schools in 1951. His first Gladewater assignment was as high school social studies teacher at the beginning of the 1956 school year. Twelve years later he was transferred to Weldon School where he took up the challenge of being that school"s first counselor and assisting with the smooth integration of Gladewater classes. He worked with the seventh and eighth graders for four years after the Weldon campus became the district"s middle school. In the summer of 1973, Goode took up the assignment of serving as principal of Broadway Elementary. He retired from the Gladewater Independent School District in 1984, ending a most successful 34 years in education. Throughout his life, he spent valuable hours in collecting and selling antiques. He formerly owned Main Street Treasurers in Gladewater. He leaves to celebrate his life and legacy his wife, Anne Goode of Gladewater, 2 sons, Rick Goode of Gladewater and Roger Goode and wife Christy of Cushing; 3 step-children, Dana Hufstetler of Longview; Shayne Dickson of White Oak; and Delight Inocencio of Gladewater, 4 step-grandchildren; and 5 step-great-grandchildren; several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Richard Samuel Goode, Sr. and wife, Mary Alice Moore; his first wife, Virginia Dillard Goode; and several siblings. No visitation is scheduled. In lieu of flowers, the family request donations made to the Richard Goode Memorial Scholarship Fund, c/o Gladewater ISD, 500 W. Quitman, Gladewater, Texas 75647.