Charles 'Chuck' Goodrich, multi-faceted career
Charles "Chuck" Lenfest Goodrich, 83, of Henlopen Acres, passed away peacefully Tuesday, May 6, 2014, at the Delaware Hospice Center in Milford. He was born Nov. 10, 1930, in Charlestown, W. Va., son of the Honorable Edgar J. Goodrich and Beulah (Lenfast) Goodrich, who preceded him in death.
Chuck grew up in Washington, D.C., where he attended Sidwell Friends School and Saint Albans School. He attended the University of North Carolina, where he was a member of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. Chuck served his country proudly with the U.S. Coast Guard. After his honorable discharge he became a member of the Delaware River & Bay Pilots Association. In the early 1970s Chuck made a career change and for many years was a sales representative and manager of Capital Furniture Store in Dover. After retiring, Chuck embarked on another career as a food services cashier in the Carter Higher Education Building at the Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown.
Chuck avidly read newspapers daily and loved to converse with friends and strangers alike. He was a loyal friend to all who knew him. Chuck had a great love for animals, especially dogs. He loved the beach and the ocean, but would usually wait until after July Fourth to take his first swim. He spent almost every summer of his life in Rehoboth Beach. In 1937 his parents built one of the first homes in Henlopen Acres, which was not a town at that time. He was a faithful member and usher at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Rehoboth Beach. Chuck was also a mentor for several local support groups, where his presence will be missed. Chuck will be remembered as a kind and gentle man who was much loved by his family and will be sorely missed.
Chuck is survived by his son, Bill Goodrich of Rehoboth Beach; his daughter, Win Goodrich Rosenberg and her husband Hank of Rehoboth Beach; three grandchildren: Jessica Rosenberg, Cordielyn Goodrich and Lee Goodrich all of Rehoboth Beach; his former spouse and friend, Cordie Lee "Trip" Wilkinson of Lewes; a daughter in-law, Michelle Goodrich of Lewes; one brother: George Goodrich and his wife Nancy of Charlottesville, Va.; one sister: Molly Goodrich Houston of Princeton, N.J.: and numerous nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Friday, June 20, at 11 a.m., at All Saints' Episcopal Church, 18 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach, where friends may begin visiting at 10:30 a.m. Committal services will be at 3:30 p.m., in All Saints' Cemetery, 20274 Beaver Dam Road, Harbeson.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to All Saints' Episcopal Church, 18 Olive Ave., Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971, or to Delaware Hospice, 100 Patriots Way, Milford, DE 19963.
