James M. ‘Jim’ Goddard, 75, of West Branch, passed away on Wednesday, June 15, 2022, at the University of Iowa.
A funeral service will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 1, 2022, at the Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City. Reverend Roger Dykstra will officiate. Please join the family for a time of food and fellowship after the service at the church. Burial will take place at a later date. James gave the gift of life through the Iowa Donor Network, by being a donor.
Visitation will be from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 30, 2022, at the church. There will be another visitation from 9:30 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. on Friday, July 1, 2022, at the church. In lieu of flowers memorials may be made to the family, for charities that James supported. Online condolences may be made at www.wittichfuneralhome.com.
James was born on October 21, 1946, in Muscatine, the son of Ivan H. ‘Mike’ and Melba H. (Vorbrich) Goddard. He married Catherine G. ‘Cathy’ Morehouse on August 23, 1969, in Muscatine.
Jim graduated from William Penn in Oskaloosa with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. He started his career at Iowa Braille and Sight Seeing School in Vinton. Jim then worked as an Iowa City Coach School Bus Carrier and finished as a security guard for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library in West Branch. He was a member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Iowa City.
Jim enjoyed the Iowa Hawkeyes, current events, politics, hamburgers, weather forecasts, road trips and exploring the road less traveled, and collecting Iowa road maps. He was an avid fan of Presidential History and Museums. Jim loved spending time with his family and cheering on his grandchildren at their sporting events. He had a lifetime devotion to family and friends.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife of 52 years, Cathy Goddard of West Branch; his daughters, Heather Grau and her husband, Pat, of Calamus, and Danielle McKinney and her husband, Kyle, of West Branch; four grandchildren, Andrew, Colin, Peyton, and Emily Grau; two sisters, Mary Mull and her husband, John, of Bolingbrook, Illinois, and Cheri Stock and her husband, Don, of Guam; and many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews, that will miss him.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Ivan H. ‘Mike’ and Melba H. Goddard.
