Carl Grady Goodwin, 87, went home to be with The Lord on Tuesday, October 11, 2022 at Navicent Health Hospital in Macon, Georgia. The family will receive friends on Friday, October 14, 2022 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Chapel of Bowen-Donaldson Home for Funerals. His funeral service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, October 15, 2022 at Mount Zion Baptist Church in Chula, Georgia with the Rev. Aaron Frazier and the Rev. Larry Layfield officiating. Mr. Goodwin will be laid to rest at Mount Zion Baptist Church Cemetery in Chula with full military honors as he served his country over 21 years in the United States Navy. Carl Grady Goodwin will be placed in the church one hour prior to the service on Saturday. The service will be live streamed at www.facebook.com/mtzionchula.
Joshua Woods, Hunter Goodwin, Westley Tawzer, Eric Goodwin, Marty Goodwin, Jay Goodwin, and Alexander Parker will serve as pallbearers. Barry Bankston, Scotty Bates, Kameron Goodwin, Fred Barnes, Nip Cromer, Larry Thompson, Sidney Cromer will be honorary pallbearers.
Carl Grady Goodwin was born December 4, 1934 in Bradford, Pennsylvania to his parents, the late Otis Grady Goodwin and Naomi Morton Goodwin. He was preceded in death by his wife of 51 years, Barbara Jean Whiddon Goodwin; four brothers, Darrel, Kenneth, George, and Winfred Goodwin.
Mr. Goodwin was dedicated as a strong brother, devoted husband, very loving, caring daddy and papa, kind uncle and very dear friend to all those who knew him throughout his lifetime of almost 88 years. He was a hard worker, always giving of his time and effort to help others in need and would accomplish the tasks set before him. He was a farmer who loved planting a garden each year, especially perfecting the art of growing lots of tomatoes that everyone enjoyed. After retirement, he began working on lawn mowers and other small engines helping repair them for friends and family. He enjoyed volunteering at the Georgia Agirama where he would love to talk with the visitors as he helped make fresh turpentine and then sugar cane grinding that he would help make into syrup. He always enjoyed being outdoors hunting and fishing, having pets that were sometimes not the ordinary pet such as a fox, coyote, baby alligator, gopher turtles, and more. He loved wildlife in general and watching his nature programs on tv. Mr. Goodwin also really enjoyed going on mission trips with his church and also going to the Boy’s Home ministry. He was very proud to be an American and had a very high respect for his country and fellow armed forces members, both active and retired. He was very glad that he was able to travel the world while in the Navy to help maintain our freedom that we all have today because of all those who have served our country. Mr. Goodwin loved spending time with his family and five grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. God, family, and church were most important. We will greatly miss him and will always cherish all the beautiful fond memories that we shared with our daddy and papa through all the years.
He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Sonya Carlisa Goodwin Woods and Darrell Kenneth Woods of Tifton, Georgia; his son and daughter-in-law, Joel Dee Goodwin and Kristin Nease Goodwin of Savannah, Georgia; five grandchildren and one grandson-in-law, Heather Beasley and Justin Beasley, Joshua Woods, all of Tifton, Georgia, Hannah Woods of Macon, Georgia, Hunter Goodwin and Abigail Goodwin of Savannah, Georgia; and four great-grandsons, Westley Tawzer, Brantley Williams, Jace Woods, and Jack Woods; his loving sister and husband, Grace Goodwin Bankston and Jack Bankston of TyTy, Georgia; sisters-in-law, Ann Goodwin, Brenda Goodwin, both of Tifton, Georgia and Betty Jean Goodwin of Sylvester, Georgia; his nieces, Rhonda Bankston, Alyssa Goodwin, Melissa Goodwin Bates and husband, Scotty Bates, Debbie Goodwin, Belindagale Goodwin; his nephews, Barry Bankston, Eric Goodwin, Marty Goodwin and his wife, Leighan Goodwin, Jay Goodwin, Kameron Goodwin; his great-nieces, Payton Goodwin, Hiley Parker, Emma Goodwin; his great-nephews, Garrett Bates, Hunter Goodwin, Alexander Parker, Tyler Goodwin, Cam Goodwin and his great-great nephew: Jayden Reyes; and many cousins.
The family would like to thank the staff of Tift Regional Medical Center and Navicent Health Hospital in Macon, Georgia for all their kindness, compassion, and excellent care.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Mount Zion Baptist Church Mission Fund, 293 Mount Zion Church Road, Chula, Georgia 31733.