Ray Goodman

Ray P. Goodman Jr., 96, of Marshalltown, Iowa, passed away peacefully surrounded by family at Unity Point Health Marshalltown on Friday, March 1, 2024.

Services for Ray will be held on Thursday, March 7, 2024 beginning at 2:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. A visitation for family and friends will be held one hour prior to services. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for a later designation. For additional information or to send a condolence to the family please visit www.mitchellfh.com or call 641-844-1234.

Ray Pierce Goodman Jr. was born December 1, 1927 in Baltimore, Maryland at St. Joseph hospital. Ray was raised in Baltimore and later graduated from Baltimore Polytech High School in 1946. He later attended Spartan School of Aeronautics in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Upon graduation in 1946, Ray served his country proudly in the United States Air Force during World War II. While in the service, he was in Army Air Force Intelligence with the Army of Occupation in Germany. He was stationed at Rhein-Main Air Base during the Berlin Airlift. Ray served a total of three years in the service, being honorably discharged in 1949.

After his military discharge, Ray worked as a commercial charter pilot and flight instructor. He became a crop duster in Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Nebraska. He came to Marshalltown in 1954 to work for R.S. Stover Company and became part owner and corporate secretary-treasurer in 1961. He eventually became a part owner and a secretary of a subsidiary company, Stover Midwest inc., until it was sold in 1978. He retired with R.S. Stover Company after 33 years in 1987.

On October 2, 1955, Ray was united in marriage to the love of his life Colleen Meyer at the Congregational Church in Baxter, Iowa. Together they had two daughters Laura and Tracy who they raised together. In his free time, Ray was very active within numerous organizations. He was a life member of the Air Force Association, American Legion, Antique Airplane Association, Confederate Air Force, and VFW. He was additionally a long-time member of the forty and eight, the Experimental Aircraft Association and Warbirds of America. He was a past President of the Marshalltown Matins Kiwanis Club and Marshalltown Engineering Club, a past commander of the Frank Lewis Glick Post 46 of the American Legion and the Past Chef de Gare of Voiture 568 of the Forty and eight.

Ray is survived by his wife, Colleen Goodman; his children, Laura (Don) Woollard and Tracy (Michael) Kupka; his grandchildren, Emily (Derek) Copeland, Eric (Jerusha) Woollard, Carissa (Ahren) Broad and Amanda Kupka; his great-grandchildren, Ayjer, Eli, Liam, Tobias and Meliah Woollard and Lily Copeland; and his sister, Louise Gentry.

He is preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Kathleen Byrd.