Roger Walker Goodsell Sr.

Lt. Col. Roger Walker Goodsell, Sr., 95, passed away July 30 in Tyler. Services will be held on Saturday, August 5, 2017, at 11:00 AM at Marvin United Methodist Church with Rev. Gerry Giles and Dr. Don Garrison officiating. Visitation will be one hour prior to service at 10:00 AM. Roger was born to the late Winifred Arletta (Walker) Goodsell and Oscar Addis Goodsell in Kingston, N.Y. Feb. 10, 1922. He graduated from Kingston High School and Stewart Tech in New York City. He worked for Brewster Aircraft on Long Island, N.Y. before volunteering to join the U.S. army as a paratrooper during World War II where he was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries suffered in the Battle of the Bulge near Born, Belgium, and a Bronze Star. He participated in five campaigns—Rome-Arno, Southern France, Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe as a member of the 517th Parachute Infantry. He was awarded the Infantryman Badge for many engagements against the enemy and was in the initial jump in Southern France. Following the end of the war, Roger was first Sergeant of the 505th, Parachute Infantry during service in Germany and the U.S. He made 15 combat parachute jumps. Following the war, Roger married Gloria Mae Post of Kingston on July 4, 1947, in Alexandria, V.A. The couple moved to Schenectady, N.Y., where Roger was employed by General Electric Company. The couple then moved to Tyler in 1955 where General Electric was building a new plant (now Trane). Roger rose in position to become manager of shop operations in 1964. Roger joined the U.S. Army Reserves and attained the rank of Lt. Colonel in 1968. He received a meritorious service award and a certificate for Outstanding Student in the Dallas area in 1964 and retired from the reserves in 1982. In 1971 Roger accepted the position of plant manager at the Trane plant in Fort Smith, AR., and Gloria took a position as Latin teacher at South Side High School. Following retirement in 1991, the couple moved back to Tyler where they enjoyed retirement in a home Roger built, traveling, being close to family and renewing friendships at Marvin United Methodist Church. Roger loved people, travel, sailboats and airplanes. He rarely heard a plane pass overhead that he did not look up and identify it. He and Gloria traveled throughout the U.S. and Europe and especially cherished the many friends they made everywhere they lived and traveled. After he retired, Roger bought a sailboat, which he named Duchess, the nickname he had lovingly called Gloria since they were high school classmates. Together they trailered the boat to New York City in 1986 where they sailed with hundreds of other small craft during the July 4 Liberty Weekend and the Tall Ship Parade. They also summered for several years on Lake George in upstate New York. Roger was also a member of the local chapter of the Military Officers Association and a member of The Masonic Lodge No. 1233 for 58 years and the Shriners for 53 years. He and Gloria rarely missed a military reunion. Roger was preceded in death by his wife earlier the year, his parents and sister Shirley (Goodsell) Norton and is survived by son and daughter-in-law, Roger and Belinda Goodsell; son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Ruth Goodsell; grandson, Richard Goodsell, Jr.; granddaughter, Lindsay and her husband David Garner and two great-granddaughters, Leah and Jenna Garner. The family would like to give special thanks to Heart to Heart Hospice for its excellent care of Roger. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Heart to Heart Hospice, 7925 S. Broadway Ave, Tyler, or Marvin Church Ministries, 300 W. Erwin St. Tyler, 75701.

Roger Walker Goodsell Sr.

February 10, 1922 - July 30, 2017