Goodin, John S. 1951 - 2021

GOODIN, MESSMER, MERCK, MCHUGH, PALMER, KETCHAM, GROVE, TIMMERMAN

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/15/2021 at 11:31:40

John S. Goodin of Decorah, IA passed away at home on October 7th, 2021. He was born in Jeffersonville, IN to Earl and Rosella (Messmer) Goodin on May 21, 1951, which was also his mother’s birthday.

John was a 1969 graduate of Providence High School in Clarksville, IN. He attended Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, IN and Indiana University, graduating in 1974 with a degree in education. He later earned a Master of Library Science degree from Indiana University in 1985.

John married Karen Merck in 1986, and their marriage was one of great love and friendship. John and his family moved to Decorah in 1994, where he worked as Technical Services Librarian at Luther College before retiring in 2015.

John had a lifelong passion for music. He began playing guitar after seeing the Beatles perform on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 and moved on to play a variety of stringed instruments. He had a special affinity for the mandolin and was a founding member of the Louisville Mandolin Orchestra. As a composer he wrote hundreds of pieces for solo mandolin, small ensembles, and mandolin orchestra. He also self-published many collections of original music and a blog, “So Many Tunes” (http://somanytunes.blogspot.com). He was well known in the Decorah area, playing with popular bands including Contratopia, Foot-Notes, and Bear Creek Bluegrass Band. Many of his tunes were recorded on Contratopia’s albums, his own solo albums, and his duet album with fiddler Erik Sessions.

In addition to music, John loved walking with his dog along the nearby river and limestone bluffs and traveling the country by train. The landscapes of southern Indiana near the Ohio and Wabash rivers and the rugged landscapes of Maine were particularly dear to him. He maintained a lifelong curiosity and love of learning and was an avid reader on a wide variety of subjects.

John will be remembered for his easy smile and open and welcoming presence--he had the ability to effortlessly strike up a friendly conversation with anyone he met. His ever-positive perspective will be greatly missed by his family and those who knew him.

John is survived by his wife, Karen; his sister, Sherri (Dan) McHugh; four children: Ardys (Reed) Palmer of Carrboro, NC, Cene (Adrienne Grove) Ketcham of Washington, D.C., Braham (Anna Timmerman) Ketcham of Oak Park, IL, and Maura Goodin of Minneapolis, MN; and four grandchildren: Sylvia and Ned Palmer and Cora and Elliot Ketcham. He was preceded in death by his parents.

A memorial concert will be held in Decorah, IA in the spring of 2022. In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations to a local environmental, conservation, or outdoor charity of the giver’s choosing.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database