Jonathan Goodwin

On Sunday, May 31, 2020, Jonathan Hall Goodwin boarded the 4:50 pm train bound for heaven, with his life-long love of trains. Born in Atlanta, GA, on July 15, 1944, to the late Charles Albert Goodwin and Barbara Hall, he spent his earliest years on Sunday mornings with his dad, studying the main switching yard in Atlanta, Georgia, and becoming an avid authority on trains and railroads. At Henry Grady High School in Atlanta, Jon served for several years as Drum Major in the marching band and enjoyed directing The Star-Spangled Banner at the football games. Jon earned his undergraduate degree in Geology from Amherst College, Amherst, Massachusetts, and his Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming, Laramie.

Jon taught as an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah for six years, and then began his 31-year career with the Illinois State Geological Survey in Champaign, Illinois, in 1976. He was very active in his profession, editing journals, serving as Interim Department Head, and contributing to the testing and certification process for professional geologists. He retired as Senior Geologist, and Assistant to the Chief for Strategy and Policy. As he neared retirement in 2007, the Board of Natural Resources and Conservation honored Jon as Principal Geologist Emeritus in recognition of his “significant contributions to the Geological Survey’s programs.”

Jon loved erudition and happily shared his knowledge of geology, trains and other matters with friends and acquaintances. A lover of classical music and opera, he was an active supporter of the Sinfonia de Camera chamber orchestra and attended operas with friends many times at the University of Illinois and at Indiana University, in Bloomington, IN. In 2019, he was honored at a special concert for his support of the Sinfonia orchestra over the years. His social life included many gatherings with friends in the Dining Out and Alternate Current social groups in Champaign-Urbana. Railroads and their history were an avocation of Jon’s, leading him to take many journeys on famous trains and special rail trips to historic sites.

In July 2019, Jon moved to Winston-Salem, NC, to be close to his family, and settled at Heritage Woods, a senior living complex. He enjoyed making new friends at Heritage Woods; and his many roles there included Secretary of the Resident Council, Facilitator of “Brain Games,” trivia games, and Director of the Lifelong Learning videos. Asked his philosophy of life, his response was, “Enjoy life as best you can in whatever way you can.” An obviously brilliant man, he stated that he wished more people understood the importance of geology in our existence.

Along with his parents, he is preceded in death by a sister, Priscilla Goodwin Bennett, of Marietta, GA; and brother-in-law, Roscoe Earl Luke, of Winston-Salem, NC. He is missed and remembered fondly by his sister Constance Goodwin Luke, 2 nieces and their husbands, 2 grandnephews and 1 grandniece all of Winston-Salem, NC; and brother-in-law John Allen Bennett, 3 nephews and their wives, 2 grandnephews and one wife and 2 grandnieces all of Marietta, GA; and many dear friends who have been like family to him. He was interred at Crestlawn Memorial Park, Atlanta, GA, on July 11, 2020. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the American Diabetes Association, P.O. Box 15829, Arlington, VA 22202.