Mira Costa High School Alumni
Manhattan Beach, California (CA)
In Memory of
John Gordon Goodwin
1942-2007
Born Aug 24, 1942, John Gordon Goodwin attended Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach, CA.
Class of 1960
Aug 24, 1942 - May 21, 2007
Aug 24, 1942 - May 21, 2007
Goodwin, John
South Bay Icon Dies
John Goodwin, surfer, skier, snowboarder, artisan, lifeguard and mentor to many young watermen, died May 21, two days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 64. On Sunday, June 24, there will be a paddle-out and memorial service at 21st Street in Hermosa Beach at 9:00 am, followed by a Celebration of Life party at Sangria, 68 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach from 1:30-4:30. There will be a simultaneous paddle-out at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.John Gordon Goodwin was born August 24, 1942, grew up in Manhattan Beach and graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1960. He spent one year at the University of Arizona, "until my gills nearly dried up," which precipitated his return to the South Bay, where he played water polo and swam for El Camino College. He then attended California State University, Long Beach and got a teaching credential from UCLA. A South Bay icon, Goodwin was a Los Angeles County Lifeguard for forty years. Every year he worked the surf festival, and if Hermosa's 22nd Street tower was open, there was a good chance John was in it. He spent fifteen summers as a Junior Guard instructor. He loved teaching J.G.'s and many of his "kids" remained lifelong friends. He also spent four summers teaching in a program for handicapped kids and adults.John spent the winter of '63-'64 working in Idaho, selling lift tickets for the Sun Valley Company and began a love affair with the mountain and the Sun Valley area that lasted until the day he died. His twenty year marriage to Darlene began on the slopes of Sun Valley and he proposed to her two days after they met. They were married a year later in matching white ski suits in Averell's restaurant on the mountain. For forty-three years he was a winter resident of Sun Valley. Goodwin worked hard and played hard, living life on his own terms. He also made his living at his potter's wheel and in his lifetime threw more than 20 tons of clay. During the '70s and '80s he owned Goodwin Stoneware on Aviation Boulevard. When the Chart House restaurant opened, he not only worked as a waiter but also made the most of their signature serving pottery. He loved to share his knowledge and taught ceramics for the South Bay Adult School and the Palos Verdes Art Center. He was a skilled woodworker as well, and his home is a showcase of his talent and attention to detail. John was usually the emcee of his class reunions and it became a tradition for the MCHS class of '60 to have the Friday night pre-party at John's, then at John and Darlene's. If you were in town, you knew you could show up and John would not only remember your name but a detail about your life. He surfed for the Hap Jacobs' surf team from '63-'65, was photographed for books and surf films, and continued to surf all of his life, up and down the west coast and went to more far-flung destinations in Hawaii, Fiji and Australia. He was passionate about volleyball and followed the Mira Costa teams into their current season. He loved playing tennis, and his perennial enthusiasm for biking shone through when he got his last new bike which he was riding right up until the minute he had the stroke.In addition to the many friends he leaves behind, John is survived by his wife, Darlene of Hermosa Beach; daughter, Ann McNee and her husband, Jeff of Sun Valley; and his nineteen year old cat, Chloe Bear. Please sign the guest book at www.dailybreeze.com/obits. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.
South Bay Icon Dies
John Goodwin, surfer, skier, snowboarder, artisan, lifeguard and mentor to many young watermen, died May 21, two days after suffering a massive stroke. He was 64. On Sunday, June 24, there will be a paddle-out and memorial service at 21st Street in Hermosa Beach at 9:00 am, followed by a Celebration of Life party at Sangria, 68 Pier Avenue, Hermosa Beach from 1:30-4:30. There will be a simultaneous paddle-out at Sunset Beach on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii.John Gordon Goodwin was born August 24, 1942, grew up in Manhattan Beach and graduated from Mira Costa High School in 1960. He spent one year at the University of Arizona, "until my gills nearly dried up," which precipitated his return to the South Bay, where he played water polo and swam for El Camino College. He then attended California State University, Long Beach and got a teaching credential from UCLA. A South Bay icon, Goodwin was a Los Angeles County Lifeguard for forty years. Every year he worked the surf festival, and if Hermosa's 22nd Street tower was open, there was a good chance John was in it. He spent fifteen summers as a Junior Guard instructor. He loved teaching J.G.'s and many of his "kids" remained lifelong friends. He also spent four summers teaching in a program for handicapped kids and adults.John spent the winter of '63-'64 working in Idaho, selling lift tickets for the Sun Valley Company and began a love affair with the mountain and the Sun Valley area that lasted until the day he died. His twenty year marriage to Darlene began on the slopes of Sun Valley and he proposed to her two days after they met. They were married a year later in matching white ski suits in Averell's restaurant on the mountain. For forty-three years he was a winter resident of Sun Valley. Goodwin worked hard and played hard, living life on his own terms. He also made his living at his potter's wheel and in his lifetime threw more than 20 tons of clay. During the '70s and '80s he owned Goodwin Stoneware on Aviation Boulevard. When the Chart House restaurant opened, he not only worked as a waiter but also made the most of their signature serving pottery. He loved to share his knowledge and taught ceramics for the South Bay Adult School and the Palos Verdes Art Center. He was a skilled woodworker as well, and his home is a showcase of his talent and attention to detail. John was usually the emcee of his class reunions and it became a tradition for the MCHS class of '60 to have the Friday night pre-party at John's, then at John and Darlene's. If you were in town, you knew you could show up and John would not only remember your name but a detail about your life. He surfed for the Hap Jacobs' surf team from '63-'65, was photographed for books and surf films, and continued to surf all of his life, up and down the west coast and went to more far-flung destinations in Hawaii, Fiji and Australia. He was passionate about volleyball and followed the Mira Costa teams into their current season. He loved playing tennis, and his perennial enthusiasm for biking shone through when he got his last new bike which he was riding right up until the minute he had the stroke.In addition to the many friends he leaves behind, John is survived by his wife, Darlene of Hermosa Beach; daughter, Ann McNee and her husband, Jeff of Sun Valley; and his nineteen year old cat, Chloe Bear. Please sign the guest book at www.dailybreeze.com/obits. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the American Heart Association.