GEORGE JAMES GOOCH, FORMERLY OF VULCAN PASSED AWAY AT HIGH RIVER, ALBERTA APRIL 8, 1999 AT THE AGE OF 77 YEARS.
GEORGE WAS BORN AUGUST 25, 1921 AT VULCAN, ALBERTA TO PHILLIP SR. AND CLARISSA GOOCH. HE GREW UP IN THE QUEENSTOWN DISTRICT WHERE HE ATTENDED THE WILLARD SCHOOL. HE QUIT SCHOOL AT AN EARLY AGE TO WORK, AS MOST EVERYONE IN THOSE DAYS WERE HARD UP. HE WORKED FOR LOCAL FARMERS, MAINLY HARRY HOULTON, BOB HILL AND DAVE LEWIS. ON NOVEMBER 23, 1942 HE MARRIED MABEL HELLEVANG AND SHORTLY AFTER, HE JOINED THE CANADIAN ARMY AND WAS SENT OVERSEAS SIX MONTHS LATER. HE SERVED OUR COUNTRY IN ITALY, FRANCE AND HOLLAND, RETURNING HOME TWO AND A HALF YEARS LATER. AFTER THE WAR HE PURCHASED LAND AND BEGAN FARMING. FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER OF 1947 AND AGAIN FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER OF 1948 GEORGE CUSTOM COMBINED FROM TEXAS NORTH ARRIVING HOME IN TIME TO HARVEST. MABEL REMAINED AT HOME RAISING THEIR CHILDREN AND LOOKING AFTER THE FARM. IN 1995, AFTER MORE THEN THIRTY YEARS IN THE EASTWAY DISTRICT, THEY RETIRED TO HIGH RIVER WHERE HE HAS RESIDED UNTIL HIS PASSING.
GEORGE LIVED FOR HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS AND FAMILY GATHERINGS FOR WHICH HE WILL BE GREATLY MISSED.
GEORGE AND MABEL BELONGED TO THE BUFFALO HILLS CAMPER CLUB WHERE THEY ENJOYED CARD PARTIES, SOCIALIZING AND MAKING NEW FRIENDS. GEORGE WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION AND B.P.O.ELKS LODGE. HE ENJOYED ATTENDED MANY RODEOS AND WINTERING IN MESA, ARIZONA FOR SEVENTEEN YEARS.
BELOVED HUSBAND OF MRS. MABEL GOOCH OF HIGH RIVER, LOVING FATHER OF TWO DAUGHTERS SHERYL GOOCH OF CALGARY AND CHARLOTTE (KEN) NELSON OF MILO, A SON DENNIS (DARLENE) OF VULCAN, FIVE GRANDCHILDREN, TROY (SPECIAL FRIEND WENDY SKELAR) CINDY (HER FIANCEE RICK GOLDHAWK), SHERRI, BRADY AND BROOKE, A BROTHER BILL GOOCH, A SISTER DOROTHY MILLER BOTH OF LETHBRIDGE, TWO BROTHERS-IN-LAW, NUMEROUS NIECES, NEPHEWS AND A HOST OF FRIENDS.
GEORGE WAS PREDECEASED BY HIS PARENTS, THREE BROTHERS HARRY, BOB AND PHILLIP, SISTER SHIRLEY HOOD, FOUR UNCLES AL, HANK, OLE AND JACK WILLARD.
CELEBRATION OF LIFE SERVICE WILL BE HELD MONDAY APRIL 12, 1999 AT 1:30 P.M. AT VULCAN UNITED CHURCH WITH REV. LORRAINE POWELL AND REV. DOUG BARRIE OFFICIATING.
FRATERNAL SERVICE BY MEMBERS THE VULCAN BENEVOLENT AND PROTECTIVE ORDER OF ELKS, LODGE COLORS REPRESENTED BY MEMBERS OF THE VULCAN ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION.
HONORARY BEARERS WERE ED RICHARDSON, STUART CAMPBELL, LES McMULLEN, BILL CROSSFIELD , WALTER DANN, VIC FULTON AND ART FORSTER.
INURNMENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT A LATER DATE.
IN LIEU OF FLOWERS, MEMORIAL TRIBUTES IN GEORGE’S MEMORY COULD BE MADE TO EITHER THE HIGH RIVER AND DISTRICT HEALTH CARE FOUNDATION 560-9 AVE. S.W. T1V 1B3 OR THE CHARITY OF YOUR CHOICE.
VULCAN FUNERAL HOME IN CARE OF ARRANGEMENTS. TELEPHONE 485-2633.