Obituary – Dr. Joan Marie Goodship

Dr. Joan Marie Goodship, went to be with her Lord and Savior on June 24, 2020, at her Henrico home peacefully in her sleep. Joan was born on July 16, 1931, in Marquette, MI to the late Howard and Hermaine (Savoy) Jensen. She married the love of her life, William “Bill” Charles Goodship in 1981, in Marshall MI. They were blessed with 39 years of marriage. They enjoyed traveling together and their beloved dog, Buck. She was deeply devoted as a mother to seven children, as well as her extended family, neighbors and friends. Joan’s passions included horticulture, fishing, boating, and following her favorite college football teams. She possessed a genuine compassion for others. Her optimism was contagious, as well as her zest for life. Joan earned her M.A., B.A. at Eastern Michigan University and Ph.D. at Michigan State University. She taught in Michigan with the special needs population for over 30 years. In addition she supervised and coordinated a special education work-study program. Bill and Joan relocated to Richmond, where she joined the education department at the University of Richmond. She genuinely cared for all her students and was completely dedicated to her work. Left to cherish her memory is her devoted husband, Bill Goodship; her sons, Paul Tower (Diane), Kirk Tower (Robin), and Guy Goodship; and her daughters, Janie Kinas (Bob), Carol Brown (Steve), and Helen Tower (Manouchehr Nosrati). She adored her grandchildren, Kyle Tower (Ashton), Reza and Mina Nosrati, Daniel Kinas, Travis and Dakota Brown. She was overjoyed with the addition of two great grandchildren, Aurora and Obadiah Tower. She was also very fond of her many nieces and nephews, especially Lisa Antal (Bela) and Erik Tower (Becky). In addition to her parents, Joan was preceded in death by her oldest daughter, Marie Christine Tower; two brothers, Gordon and Howard; and sister, Janice. Also preceding in death, Joan was very close to and loved her brother-in-law, Lyman and wife Ardis Tower. The family will receive friends 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the West Chapel of Bennett Funeral Home, 11020 W. Broad St. A private memorial will be held for family and close friends.    (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});