John Norman Goodman

John Norman Goodman passed away suddenly on August 31, 2015, in Oklahoma City, OK. He was born on January 15, 1945, in Durant, Oklahoma, to Wallace and Evelyn Norman Goodman. John grew up in Durant and became the patriarch of the family at an early age, after his father passed away in 1952. At the age of 12, he attended the Fourth National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, and earned the Eagle Scout rank shortly after his 13th birthday. He was a starting defensive tackle for the Durant Lions and was president of his Junior and Senior classes. After graduating from Durant High School in 1963, he attended the University of Oklahoma where he majored in Economics, worked as a dorm counselor, was a member of the President's Leadership Class and Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1967, he concurrently earned Juris Doctor and Masters of Business Administration degrees from the University of Oklahoma. John joined the Oklahoma City law firm of Conner, Little, and Conner in 1971, and opened his own practice in Oklahoma City in 1981, where he was still practicing at the time of his death. John married his high school sweetheart, Sue Ann Hasting, in 1967 in Durant. They were blessed with two children, Sara Lyn in 1973 and Mark Norman in 1976. They were happily married for 48 years, and counting the 5 years they dated, they had 53 wonderful years together. He was a loving husband and enjoyed surprising his wife with an original poem on special occasions. John was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the JAG Corps and was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army Reserve in 1978. An avid golfer, he had three holes-in-one. He also loved to travel and was a long-time supporter and fan of the OU football team. He especially enjoyed spending time with his children, four granddaughters, and numerous friends. Sunday dinner at Johnnie's with friends was a tradition. John is survived by his wife Sue Ann of Oklahoma City; daughter Sara Lyn and her husband Bob Pascal, Jr. of Darien, Connecticut; son Mark and his wife Mihaela of Oklahoma City; brother Wallace Goodman and his wife Debbie of Thomasville, Georgia; his grandchildren Gigi and Maisie Pascal, of Darien and Larissa and Audrina Goodman of Oklahoma City; sister-in-law G.Kay Powers and her husband Don of Edmond. John was preceded in death by his parents Evelyn and Wallace Goodman. A memorial service honoring John was held at Nichols Hills United Methodist Church on September 3, 2015. John believed in the importance of a quality education. He often would prepare trusts and wills for young couples with his fee being that they would open a college savings account for their children. In that memory, the family requests memorial donations be made to Casady School, 9500 North Pennsylvania Avenue, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120, where Sara Lyn and Mark graduated and he and Sue gained many longtime friends.