Jim Goodrich Obituary

We sadly note the passing of Club Member Jim Goodrich on Nov. 22. Below is the obituary that appeared in the Dec. 2 Courant. The memorial service will be held this Sat., Dec. 14, at 4 p.m., at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church.

James ("Jim") Coates Goodridge, a beloved father, brother, grandfather, uncle and father-in-law, died on Nov. 22, 2013, after a courageous battle with cancer. He passed away at his home in West Hartford with his three children by his side. He was predeceased by his adored wife of 45 years, Louise ("Lucy") Lloyd Goodridge. Born on Sept. 7, 1941, in Detroit, Mr. Goodridge was raised with his four siblings in Pittsburgh, Penn., and attended Brentwood High School. He graduated from Trinity College in Hartford in 1963 with a degree in history and enlisted in the United States Navy. He saw combat in the Vietnam War and was honorably discharged. He became a certified financial analyst with an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, and worked throughout his long career at Connecticut General, Synfuels Corporation and United Technologies Corporation. From the late 1990s to September of this year, he ran his own financial advisory firm, the Goodridge Investment Consulting Company. Mr. Goodridge had deep roots in Hartford, notably as an active member of the Asylum Hill Congregational Church and the Rotary Club. He also served on the boards of Cedar Hill Cemetery and Foundation, the Trinity Club of Hartford and the 1892 Club. He was also a director for the Hartford Tennis Club and for The Piseco Company in Speculator, N.Y. He loved to travel, see and learn new things, and be outdoors with his wife and his family. In addition to working and relaxing at the family beach house in Westport Point, Mass., he enjoyed camping, hiking and kayaking at state and national parks. He hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and then back up, twice. In 2011, he hiked Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. He is survived by his three children, Christopher, Timothy and Elisabeth; daughters-in-law Tracy and Jena; son-in-law Ben; grandchildren Jonathan, Emily, Zachary, Marshall and Samuel; three brothers, William, George and Ed; one sister, Elizabeth Westgard; three sisters-in-law Sheryl, Jane and Betsy Rushong, two brother-in-law James Westgard and Ben Rushong; and many nephews and nieces. His strength, kindness and generosity will be missed by all. A memorial service will be held at the Asylum Hill Congregational Church on Saturday, Dec.14, 2013, at 4 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Westport River Watershed Alliance, www.westportwatershed.org.