James Goff
Dr. James W. Goff, Ph.D. Dr. James W. Goff, Ph.D. Telluride, CO Formerly of Portland, MI A life of achievement and quiet inspiration ended peacefully when James Winthrop Goff, Ph.D., died Friday, January 6, 2006, in Montrose, CO at the age of 85 with his family present. He was born in Portland, MI, the son of Benn and Angie Miner Goff and resided there for 82 years. He married Genevieve Pung in 1942 (deceased 2001) and is survived by five children, David, Dennis (Diane), Frank (Kathy), Charles (Janie) and Mary (Mark) Schueller. His life was enriched with seven grandchildren, Denise (Jim) Goff Johnson, Greg (Sophia) Goff, Andrew Goff, Matt Schueller, Benn Schueller, Heather (Ron) Stritzinger, and John (Samantha) Billings and four great-grandchildren, Lauren, Whitney, Sam, and Grace Johnson. He is also survived by his sister, Janet Wawiernia; sisters-in-law, Esther Nickel, Gladys Stump, Lucille Bohr, and Patricia Snyder; brother-in-law, Martin (Monica) Pung; and many nieces and nephews. The last 3 years of his life were shared with devoted companion, Margaret Berendes of Telluride, CO. Jim was involved in varied activities. He earned the Eagle Scout designation and was active as a scout leader for many years. He served the Portland Library Board, the Portland Public School Foundation and St. Patrick's Church in many projects. He contributed his intellect and common sense to the advancement of the community. He attended Michigan Tech from 1938 to 1941 when he entered the Army where he served as a construction foreman in England and France until being discharged in 1945. He was a superb woodworker, a sailor, an avid reader of almost everything, and loved to explore the West, including Lake Powell. Dr. Goff will be remembered by the Michigan State University community as the first instructor in the new packaging program in the Department of Forest Products in 1952. He developed the MSU School of Packaging in 1957, the first university-level packaging education and research program in the world. He was instrumental in fund raising for the Packaging building, served as Director from 1966 to 1976, and continued as Professor until retiring in 1987. He inspired his students and colleagues in related fields of business, environmental, scientific and social studies in creation of the multi-disciplinary field of packaging to the extent that today a dozen universities in the US and overseas offer programs based on the model established at MSU. This influence is continued today by over 7000 graduates from MSU. He served in professional organizations and received awards including induction into the Packaging Education Hall of Fame in 1988 and Military Packaging Hall of Fame in 2001. He assisted the US Department of Agriculture and US Postal system in developing standards and traveled to Israel, Chile and Sweden on Sabbatical where he assisted in developing programs. He considered his greatest professional accomplishment to be the success of his students. He was recently instrumental in establishing the "James W. Goff Pioneers of Packaging Fund" at MSU to assist students and programs. Those who had the privilege to know him will surely remember his wonderfully sharp mind, his sense of adventure and exploration, and his love of life and living. He is already missed by family, friends, colleagues and thousands of students whose lives he touched. A memorial Mass will be held at St. Patrick's Church in Portland, MI on January 20, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends at the church prior to the Mass and at a luncheon after at the Parish Hall. There will be no other visitation or services. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Portland Public School Foundation, Father Flohe Foundation or the James W. Goff Pioneers of Packaging Fund at MSU. Published in the Lansing State Journal - January 15, 2006Obituary
Dr. James W. Goff, Ph.D. Dr. James W. Goff, Ph.D. Telluride, CO Formerly of Portland, MI A life of achievement and quiet inspiration ended peacefully when James Winthrop Goff, Ph.D., died Friday, January 6, 2006, in Montrose, CO at the age of 85 with his family present. He was born in Portland, MI, the son of Benn and Angie Miner Goff and resided there for 82 years. He married Genevieve Pung in 1942 (deceased 2001) and is survived by five children, David, Dennis (Diane), Frank (Kathy), Charles (Janie) and Mary (Mark) Schueller. His life was enriched with seven grandchildren, Denise (Jim) Goff Johnson, Greg (Sophia) Goff, Andrew Goff, Matt Schueller, Benn Schueller, Heather (Ron) Stritzinger, and John (Samantha) Billings and four great-grandchildren, Lauren, Whitney, Sam, and Grace Johnson. He is also survived by his sister, Janet Wawiernia; sisters-in-law, Esther Nickel, Gladys Stump, Lucille Bohr, and Patricia Snyder; brother-in-law, Martin (Monica) Pung; and many nieces and nephews. The last 3 years of his life were shared with devoted companion, Margaret Berendes of Telluride, CO. Jim was involved in varied activities. He earned the Eagle Scout designation and was active as a scout leader for many years. He served the Portland Library Board, the Portland Public School Foundation and St. Patrick's Church in many projects. He contributed his intellect and common sense to the advancement of the community. He attended Michigan Tech from 1938 to 1941 when he entered the Army where he served as a construction foreman in England and France until being discharged in 1945. He was a superb woodworker, a sailor, an avid reader of almost everything, and loved to explore the West, including Lake Powell. Dr. Goff will be remembered by the Michigan State University community as the first instructor in the new packaging program in the Department of Forest Products in 1952. He developed the MSU School of Packaging in 1957, the first university-level packaging education and research program in the world. He was instrumental in fund raising for the Packaging building, served as Director from 1966 to 1976, and continued as Professor until retiring in 1987. He inspired his students and colleagues in related fields of business, environmental, scientific and social studies in creation of the multi-disciplinary field of packaging to the extent that today a dozen universities in the US and overseas offer programs based on the model established at MSU. This influence is continued today by over 7000 graduates from MSU. He served in professional organizations and received awards including induction into the Packaging Education Hall of Fame in 1988 and Military Packaging Hall of Fame in 2001. He assisted the US Department of Agriculture and US Postal system in developing standards and traveled to Israel, Chile and Sweden on Sabbatical where he assisted in developing programs. He considered his greatest professional accomplishment to be the success of his students. He was recently instrumental in establishing the "James W. Goff Pioneers of Packaging Fund" at MSU to assist students and programs. Those who had the privilege to know him will surely remember his wonderfully sharp mind, his sense of adventure and exploration, and his love of life and living. He is already missed by family, friends, colleagues and thousands of students whose lives he touched. A memorial Mass will be held at St. Patrick's Church in Portland, MI on January 20, 2006 at 11:00 a.m. The family will receive friends at the church prior to the Mass and at a luncheon after at the Parish Hall. There will be no other visitation or services. Donations, in lieu of flowers, may be made to the Portland Public School Foundation, Father Flohe Foundation or the James W. Goff Pioneers of Packaging Fund at MSU. Published in the Lansing State Journal - January 15, 2006
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