Martha Elizabeth Goode Pasfield Obituary (1946 - 2015)

Born Mar 20, 1946, Martha Elizabeth Goode Pasfield attended William Byrd High School in Vinton, VA. View the obituary, post a memory, or share a photo about Martha Elizabeth Goode Pasfield.

Graduation Year	Class of 1964
Date of Birth	Mar 20, 1946
Date of Passing	Sep 08, 2015
About	Martha Elizabeth Goode Pasfield, 69, of Charlotte, died Tuesday, September 8, 2015, at her home surrounded by her loving family. Martha was a native of Vinton, Virginia, the daughter of loving parents, Otto Forest Goode and Hessie Maude Maxey Goode; and a sister to her loving and accomplished older brother David. Martha's early years were spent living in her family's home built by her uncles, located on seven acres right off of the Blue Ridge Parkway. She enjoyed a wonderful childhood in a small town, spending lots of time with her brother and parents at Goode's Department Store in downtown Vinton. She attended Roanoke County public schools and graduated from William Byrd High School in 1964. Always smart and ambitious, Martha began attending Roanoke College while still a senior in high school. On her first day on campus, she met a young freshman from New York named Bob Pasfield who pretended to be lost just to strike up a conversation. They soon fell in love and got married, celebrating with a reception at the Vinton War Memorial just a week after college graduation in 1967. Martha then began a career as an elementary school teacher in Roanoke, Virginia; Greensboro, North Carolina; and finally, Madison, Indiana. After having five children in seven years, and raising them in small town Indiana, Martha then traded in her chalkboard for a briefcase at the age of 36 as she took on Wall Street from scratch. She started at the bottom with an entry level banking position at Chase Manhattan Bank and quickly worked her way to a Vice President position at Prudential-Bache Securities, with an office overlooking Manhattan. She was a living example for the women's work movement. As her children became teenagers, Martha and her family returned to Roanoke and moved back into her childhood home in 1989. She built upon her banking career at Dominion Bank (predecessor to Wells Fargo), and spent more time with her aging father. This slower pace of life gave her a renewed sense of balance and satisfaction. Another bank merger soon took her and her family to Charlotte, NC in 1993 where she continued excelling in her career and saw all five children graduate from various universities. It was at this point, when she was truly beginning to enjoy the fruits of her labor, that she was diagnosed with a very serious brain tumor in late 1999. Given months to live, she defied the odds and stayed with us for over 15 years. The disease and treatments slowly took away her speech, mobility, and exceptional communication skills. However, the disease never took away her warmth, smile, ability to nurture, or central role in the family. At her core, she did not change. In the face of such difficult circumstances, Martha continued to be happy and live her life to the fullest. She kept smiling, kept loving, and kept fighting. In many respects, her last 15 years were her finest. During these 15 years, Martha welcomed eight grandchildren, and attended countless recitals, concerts, graduations, and birthdays. She enjoyed trips to Florida, visits from her brother, and continued to participate in family events and activities. She was present for the opening of the Goode-Pasfield Center for Teaching and Learning at Roanoke College in 2008; and was there to witness her son Todd speak as valedictorian of his college class in 2009. During this time, Martha and Bob's love grew stronger and deeper, if that was even possible. Her final days were spent surrounded by her loved ones and full of love and happiness. She died peacefully at home and remained an inspiration to the end. Martha was simply an amazing daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother, aunt, cousin, friend, and person. Her life was full of accomplishments and remarkable moments. She was incredibly bright, funny, independent, spirited, and loving. She stood up for what she believed in and possessed amazing will, strength, and determination. She will be truly missed. Martha is survived by her husband of 48 years, Bob Pasfield; daughters: Tracy Pasfield and husband, Vincent Dubman, Laura Pasfield, Dawn Pasfield-Blevins and husband, Chris Blevins, all of Charlotte; sons: Todd Pasfield and wife, Megan Porter of Charlotte, Justin Pasfield and wife, Sarah Bowen-Pasfield of Raleigh; brother, David R. Goode and wife, Susan of Norfolk, VA and their children: Christina Goode, Martha Goode and husband, Blair Mielnik; grandchildren: Robbie, William, Carter, Caitlin, Jack, Taylor, Ashton, and Beckett; and many loving cousins, extended family, and dear friends. The family will receive friends from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. on Friday, September 11, 2015, at James Funeral Home of Huntersville. On Saturday, September 12, 2015, the family will receive friends at 10:00 a.m., followed by an 11:00 a.m. memorial service at Mallard Creek Presbyterian Church with Pastor Shawn Barkley and Pastor Kenneth Craig officiating. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Goode-Pasfield Center for Learning and Teaching, Roanoke College Fintel Library, 220 High Street, Salem, VA 24153.