William Wolf Goodman ’39

William Wolf Goodman ’39 died February 21 in Danbury, Connecticut. At Dartmouth Bill majored in sociology and was a member of the Forensic Union and The Players. During WW II he served in the U.S. Army in the Pacific theater, reaching the rank of captain. In 1941 Bill married his first wife, June, creating a 56-year union that ended with her death in 1997. A native New Yorker, Bill moved to Danbury in 1946 to manage the family hat company, recognized this as a dying business and closed its doors in 1958. He then joined a warehousing and moving company, now named Shepard’s Inc., developing consistent growth as chairman until his death. Bill and June were intensely involved in Danbury civic affairs. In the 1950s they helped create a grassroots movement to modernize the public school system. Bill was appointed chairman of Danbury’s planning commission, a position he held for more than 10 years, planning Danbury’s economic transformation from the single industry “Hat City” to today’s diversified metropolis known for its quality schools, low crime and pleasant environs. A staunch Democrat, he was also active in Connecticut state affairs. A proud Jewish-American, Bill was a charming, optimistic, dynamic civic leader and a lifelong advocate for social justice. He is survived by his second wife, Vivienne; sister Loucel Lippman; children Louis ’64, Michael, Douglas ’73, Kitty and Susan; six grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; and Vivienne’s three children and their families.