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Barbara Barnes 'Bobby' Goodson
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May 15, 1927 ~ September 21, 2012 |
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September 26, 2012 |
 Barbara
“Bobby” Barnes Goodson passed peacefully away
September 21, 2012, at Turtle Mountain Ranch,
the mountainside home she loved so dearly in
Bonners Ferry. A Memorial Service will be held
at 3 p.m. Saturday, October 6, at United
Methodist Church in Bonners Ferry.
She is survived by her loving husband of 61
years, Chester Wayburn Goodson, daughters Sue
Goodson Williams of Bonners Ferry and Nancy
Goodson of Phoenix, Arizona, grandson Benjamin
Kropatch of Escondido, California, Grandaughters
Barbara “Boo” Drake of Newton Falls, Ohio,
Andrea Bjork of Stockholm, Sweden, and Kimberly
Fields of Bonners Ferry. Her beloved
great-grandchildren include Bennett and Cason
Kropatch, Carter and Austynn Drake, Kyla Dowdy
and Cierra Pendergraft, and “her girls,"
Samantha, Alina and Lexi Fields, who lived down
the driveway and brightened every day with joy
and endless hugs. Bobby is also survived by her
beloved cousin, Cynthia Clingner of Bozeman,
Montana. Numerous step-grandchildren and
step-great grandchildren claim her as their own
and will mourn her passing as well.
Bobby was born May 15, 1927, the only child of
Roger Pierson Barnes and Helen Humphrey Barnes,
in Detroit, Michigan. Her early years were happy
and she was an avid reader and a bright, capable
student.
She graduated from Albion College in Michigan
and spent her first summer “out west” working in
a Camp Fire Girls summer camp. She then found a
job working for as an engineer for General
Electric. In 1951, Bobby was in charge of a USO
dance in Moffat Field, California, when she and
Chet first laid eyes on each other.
In a true “love at first sight” moment, Chet
told his buddies that he just saw the woman he
was going to marry. Bobby never wavered in her
love for him and they were married just a few
months later on August 18, 1951, in San Jose,
California.
A sailor’s life took Chet away to Japan for a
time during the Korean Conflict and Bobby
remained in the Bay Area awaiting his return. A
posting to the Pentagon relocated the young
couple to Oakton, Virginia. Life became
interesting as they added their two daughters to
the family – Sue in 1955 and Nan in 1957. Within
a few years the family received a posting to
Columbo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), and they moved
to this tropical paradise island in 1960.
Bobby began her administration of education in
Columbo as she took on the role of the school
principal at the English School in Columbo.
Following adventures too numerous to list, the
family returned to Oakton, where Chet would
finish his Navy career and Bobby would teach at
Oaklawn Academy and attain her Masters degree at
American University.
Upon Chet’s retirement from the Navy, he
accepted a position with Sylvania Electronics in
Mountain View, California, and the family
relocated to Sunnyvale.
Bobby began her California teaching career in
the Cupertino Union School District. As her dear
friend Vicky Smith Bingham recalled recently,
“We fondly remember that lovely and amazing
white-haired wonder as the Mother of computer
education.
She and a handful of others in California
interested in computers in education in the very
early 80s got together and called themselves
Computer Using Educators … and, of course, the
vibrant CUE association lives on today."
"California was where everything was really
happening in those early days of technology in
schools. Bobby was teaching in the Cupertino
schools at the time - you know, that city where
those boys who developed the Apple computer grew
up.
"When she saw the prototype of the first Apple
II, she was hooked. Her junior high school
purchased three 16K Apples and found some old
black-and-white TV monitors, and Bobby worked to
develop a curriculum and train others.
"She learned as we all learned in those days, by
talking to one another and getting together to
share ideas.”
These early Apple computers had to be “loaded”
via a cassette tape each time it was powered up,
but Bobby knew this was the future for education
and she and her cohorts would help to change the
face and future of educational computing
forever. From the time in the early 80s that CUE
was founded, Bobby would go on be the second
president of the association. She would later
receive one of the first Gold Disk Awards from
this association, recognizing significant and
lasting contributions to the field of
educational computing.
With her “Good ol’ Girls,” Bobby would travel to
many conferences and more than a few weekend spa
trips. She and dear friend Dr. Ann Lathrop would
go on to write the first definitive book on
educational software, “Courseware in the
Classroom."
In 1984, Bobby became the president of the
International Council for Computers in Education
(ICCE). She went on to be a part of a
Congressional Task Force that produced the first
comprehensive report about Technology in
Education. Titled “Informational Technology and
its impact on American Education," its 400-plus
pages include a large section about Bobby’s
school project and represents hours of
Congressional testimony in Washington D.C.
Her involvement in the ICCE lead to her work
with the Star Schools Project, a favorite effort
of Senator Ted Kennedy. Bobby had the honor of
being the United States Representative to the
International Conference on Technology in
Education that was held in Paris, France. She
and Chet turned the conference into a wonderful
vacation, visiting the British Isles.
About the time that her activities hit a peak,
Bobby retired from active teaching and formed
Bobby Goodson and Associates, her consulting
firm that allowed her to continue her work and
speak at numerous meetings throughout the
country, keynoting many conferences during the
course of her career.
Her awards are numerous and received in a state
of bewildered joy – including the NECC Pioneer
Award given for a lifetime of work that changed
the face and future of education. During this
time period Chet and Bobby bought a small
sailboat to enjoy – the Potter was a fun little
sailboat and it lead them to buy a larger
sailboat – the Rawson 40’ motor sailer was
joyfully named “Happy Hours” and that was
exactly what it brought them – many happy hours
sailing in the San Francisco Bay.
In 1987 Chet retired from Sylvania, declaring “I
gave the first 20 years to Uncle Sam, the next
20 years to GTE Sylvania, so the next 20 years
are for me!”
Chet and Bobby found a little piece of heaven
after coming to visit daughter Sue in Bonners
Ferry and bought the piece of land that became
Turtle Mountain Ranch.
The next few years were spent dividing their
time between Sedona, Arizona, and Bonners Ferry,
until they finally decided to settle full-time
in Idaho.
Daughter Sue designed their mountain side home
and supervised the building of the mathematical
marvel on the hill.
Bonners Ferry United Methodist Church would
become their church home and while Chet sang in
the choir, Bobby began the “Banner Project” that
would ultimately produce the beautiful
collection of church banners that are used
throughout the year.
She also began her lay ministry and would find
great joy in the annual conferences and meetings
that are such an integral part of the UMC life.
Bobby took great joy in re-creating and
expanding the church library, a labor that would
last trough the rest of her days.
Her love of turtles inspired the name of their
home, and the unparalleled collection of
turtles, thousands of turtles of every
description - just one of the many ways we will
remember her with a smile. If there is a need
for organization and polishing of halos and
brushing of wings, we know that she is a busy
lady once again.
She will be profoundly missed by her family, and
all those who knew and loved her. Her legacy
lives on in us all!
Family and friends are invited to sign Bobby’s
book at
www.bonnersferryfuneralhome.com.
Arrangements are entrusted to the care of
Bonners Ferry Funeral Home. |
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