Glenn Gooss - the founder of Candy Cane Lane and Ventura's 1992 Citizen of the Year - passed away gently on April 14th, with his children by his side. He died at the age of 94, but remained young at heart until the end, and was truly (truly!) loved by his family and those lucky enough to know him.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, he moved with his parents (Wes and Nellie Gooss) and older brother (Lowell) to Saticoy at the age of nine. They subsequently settled in Ventura after his father bought a grocery store on the Avenue and re-named it Gooss Market.
At the age of ten, he started selling magazines door-to-door which enabled him to pay for his own clothes and incidentals. At age 11, he obtained a second job delivering newspapers, and for each of the five years he delivered papers, he won the annual "most popular delivery boy" contest. At the age of 16, Glenn started working at the family store.
Although he was a practical boy and never entertained thoughts of playing a musical instrument, he impulsively bought a $35 trumpet that caught his eye in a store window. Soon after, he started paying for his own music lessons which turned out to be a worthy investment as it enabled him to earn money by performing in a band before the Saturday movies at the Mission Theater. As a member of the VHS marching band, he marched in the Rose Bowl Parade, entertained at the 1939 World's Fair in San Francisco and the 1940 State Fair in Sacramento. In his later years, Glenn would often entertain the football crowds at Larrabee Stadium by playing "Charge".
Glenn graduated from Ventura High School in 1941, and was attending Ventura Junior College while working for the post office when his life was interrupted by WWII. He entered the Army on Christmas Eve 1942, and graduated Officer Candidate School as a 2nd Lieutenant. As a rifle platoon leader, he landed on Omaha Beach four days after D-Day and helped liberate the town of St. Lo. Besides France, he also served in England, Belgium and Germany.
In September 1943, while on military leave, he married Phyllis Griggs. The couple first met in a church bible class when he was a high school sophomore and she was an eighth grader. Upon the end of the war they had two children, Jerry and Pam, and became active in social and community affairs. They were members of multiple bridge clubs, enjoyed Bass Lake vacations, and were proud to have visited 48 states, plus Mexico, Canada and Jamaica.
Glenn worked as a business manager for three car dealerships before a 28 year stint as the manager of Huffman Finance. At age 64 he retired, but continued contributing his energy and talents to many civic activities and professional organizations, the following of which is just a partial list:
PRESIDENT: Downtown Lions Club; Retired Professional and Business Men's Club; Ventura College Alumni Association; The Buenaventurans; Ventura City Motor Car Dealer Association; Credit Counselors. BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame.
COMMITTEES: Fundraising for a new VHS swimming pool; revitalizing downtown Ventura; renovating Grant Park.
MASTER OF CEREMONIES: Auctioneer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters fundraisers; Miss Ventura beauty pageant, Ventura County fair parade, and was often recruited to emcee at roasts and retirement parties.
The following is a partial list of honors bestowed upon him: Citizen of the Year; Lion of the Century; First Citizens of Ventura; Chamber of Commerce Glad Hand Award; PTA Life Membership (for "outstanding service to children"); and an accommodation by the city council "for outstanding leadership in promoting the best interest of local government towards making the community a better place in which to live".
However, Glenn's biggest claim to fame was being the founder of Candy Cane Lane. For 38 years (1955-1993), each December Teloma Drive was transformed into a magical place with holiday lights, decorations, music, and Santa Claus (you guessed it, played by Glenn Gooss) passing out candy canes to children.
Glenn was well known for his boyish enthusiasm, engaging nature, sparkling personality, quick wit and good humor. He never missed an opportunity to make everyone laugh and smile.
In his retirement years, Glenn played tennis well into his 80's. He also traveled internationally including Normandy, where the French treated him like a hero. He enjoyed gardening, and remained active with the Downtown Lions Club and the Ventura Retired Men's Group. And as always, he continued to be an ardent supporter of local football and basketball teams.
In his later years, Glenn enjoyed attending performances by the Ventura County Concert Band, smoking a cigar while watching his son do yard work, and being chauffeured around his beloved Ventura County by his son or daughter...which often included a stop at Foster's Freeze for a dipped cone.
Glenn was predeceased by his wife of 66 years, Phyllis. He is survived by his older brother, Lowell (Jane) of Anaheim; son Jerry (Cheryl) of Ventura and daughter Pam Marshack (George) of Wilmington, Delaware. He also leaves two granddaughters and their families: Cambria & Mike Ryan of Delaware (Hayden, Logan, and Lukas); and Marisa & Danny Murphy of Ventura (Jake, Taylor & Avery); as well as step-grandson Tim Guild (Ayla), and his family of Wisconsin.
In his last years, Glenn's family grew to include the dedicated and caring staff of Aegis' Oceanside memory care unit. Thanks to them, his children slept better at night.
If you would like to honor Glenn's memory, his family suggests donating to The Cottage House. Founded by the Downtown Lions Club, it provides a home environment for siblings in foster care. [The Cottage Home Foundation, PO Box 25180, Ventura CA 93002].
May we all try to follow his fine example of displaying gratitude towards our service men and women by paying their restaurant bill, or offering them a handshake, smile or nod.
A celebration of Glenn will be held on May 1st at 1:00 PM at Joseph P. Reardon Funeral Home & Cremation Service (757 East Main Street, Ventura), with a reception to follow.
A true patriot, Glenn's ashes will be inurned at Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.