Benjamin Goodier

Benjamin Goodier was born to Luella Gates and Benjamin D. Goodier March 24, 1924 in Silver City, New Mexico. He grew up in Silver City, Peru, Colorado and the Philippines. He survived as a civilian prisoner of war at Santo Tomas (Manila), Philippines between 1942 and 1945. His father was separated from the family and held as a military prisoner of war. He died during the war. Once released, his family moved back to the U.S. He enrolled as an engineering student at MIT and eventually met Sherry Koenig, the woman who was to become his wife and mother of his children. They were married February 14, 1948.

After graduation, Ben designed calculating machines for Marchant in California for two years then started work on the MANIAC computer in Los Alamos, NM. He later worked on nuclear weapons design and finally on nuclear rocket engine development. They had three surviving children during those years: Benjamin was born in 1951, Steven in 1952 and Paul in 1963.

He took advantage of early retirement and moved to Connecticut to work for Pratt and Whitney in 1973 and then relocated a couple of years later to the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas where he farmed grapefruit, taught at Pan American University and worked for the Department of Agriculture. Ben was a great problem-solver. At work he was creative and inventive. At home he had the reputation of being able to fix most anything that was broken, from home repairs to small appliances to his automobiles. Much of his life was about finding a better way, designing a better device or coming up with a better idea. A few of his inventions were patented by his employers at Los Alamos. Later, in Texas, he tackled the problem of keeping his grapefruit trees from freezing and was hired by the USDA to assist them in that work. He taught remedial math classes and experimented with better ways to teach math when he discovered his lectures were falling flat.

If anything for him was worth doing, it was worth learning how to do himself. He became his own plumber, electrician, carpenter, architect, boat-builder, mason, mechanic, and, to some extent, medical practitioner. Not satisfied with the way his doctors removed warts and pre-malignant moles, he came up with his own method that involved a super-conducting copper-headed rod, a large vat of liquid nitrogen and semi-nervous family volunteers. His health food breakfast concoctions will become the stuff of family legend.

He retired in 1990 and he and Sherry moved to Cape Girardeau, MO in order to be closer to their new grand-daughters. He frequently mentioned that retirement was the best job he ever had. Ben was quiet and reserved. He didn't talk easily in groups, but in private he was a deep and thoughtful conversationalist. He perhaps expressed himself best in letters. When he had something important to say, he often wrote a long letter. He may have found it easier to say just what he wanted to express in writing, especially when it dealt with relationships and feelings.

Ben was a kind and gentle soul. He had few answers to questions about life, the universe and all things spiritual, but did not disparage the convictions of others. He was humanistic and cared deeply for the welfare of other people. He forgave easily and spoke well of others, certain politicians excluded. He was always willing to help when needed and was never inconvenienced when called upon. He was a faithful friend, a caring presence in his family's life and probably about the best human being most of his family ever knew.

They moved to Colorado Springs in 2004 and spent the last six years in Salt Lake City. He is survived by his wife Sherry, sisters Yvonne Charles and Roxanna Bayless of Littleton, CO, sons Benjamin (Debbie) of Cape Girardeau, MO, Steven (Beverly) of Salt Lake City, UT and Paul (Elena) of Colorado Springs, CO. He is also survived by six grandchildren and one and a half great-grandchildren.