Obituary for Lester Goodger

Lester Darryl Goodger

(February 22, 1951 – December 4, 2015)

Lester Darryl Goodger, 64, devoted husband of 42 years, father, and grandfather passed away December 4th, 2015 in Ponca City, Oklahoma. Lester was born February, 22, 1951, in Galveston, Texas, to Leatha Fae (Allen) and Byron Russell Goodger. In 1956, his mother married Leland Howard and the family moved to Saudi Arabia for two years where he had the opportunity to visit the Holy Lands and Europe. Lester completed his schooling in Ponca City where he graduated from high school.

On Christmas Day 1968, Lester met his future wife Brenda Kay Miller dragging Main Street in Blackwell, Oklahoma. In 1970, he joined the Army National Guard. Lester completed his basic training in Fort Ord, California. He was an Infantryman and received a Sharpshooter Badge and Rifle with Bar. Lester and Brenda became engaged in 1972 and were married on Brenda’s birthday, May 27th, 1973. Their marriage was blessed by two daughters, Angela Gayle and Lacey Danyele, and one son Lester Clinton.

Lester was employed with Wikes Lumber which later became Hughes Lumber. Over the course of eighteen years, he worked his way up to store manager. There he made many lifelong friends with his customers and employees. In 1991, He began working at Continental Carbon and was employed there up until his death. Some of the position he held included shipping and control room operator. He was active in the PACE Union and traveled the United States advocating for his fellow union members during the longest lockout by a foreign-owned company in United States history.

In his spare time, he was an avid fisherman, hunter, and trapper. He enjoyed sharing these activities with his son, family, and friends. A highlight of his hunting was travelling to Colorado to hunt elk on several occasions. One of his favorite pastimes was sharing his children’s accomplishments in academics, sports, and music. Lester preferred to fix things himself from working on cars of friends and family to replacing the roof on his home. He was especially proud of installing his own in-ground pool. He took pride in his 1964 Chevy Impala and later his 1973 z 28 Camaro, which was reported to be the second-fastest car in Ponca City. Lester owned a 1979 Chevy truck which he drove for thirty years. In more recent years, he enjoyed his grandchildren, fishing in his boat, grilling, and travelling to Italy with his wife Brenda. In Italy, he returned to Trevi fountain into which he tossed a coin as a young boy. Legend says that if you toss a coin in Trevi fountain you will return again to Rome someday.

Lester was preceded in death by his parents Leatha and Leland Howard of Ponca City, his father Byron Goodger of South Carolina, his sister Sandra Canero of Ponca City, his father- and mother-in-law Jack and Dolores Miller of Blackwell, and his aunts and uncles. He is survived by his wife Brenda; daughter Angela and her husband Steve Clark and children Robert and Madelyn of Broken Arrow; daughter Lacey and her husband Jarod Merle and daughter Ava of Edmond; and son Clint and his wife Janetta (Bales) Goodger and son Gage of Ponca City. He is also survived by his brother Gordon Goodger and his wife Kathy of Guthrie; brother Tom Howard and wife Dorleen of Ponca City; sister Debbie Bible of Iowa; sister-in-law Carolyn Stewart and husband Ted of Sand Springs, and brother-in-law David Miller and wife Ruby of Blackwell as well as his nieces and nephews Julie Hawk, Jaime Goodger, Sean Suggs, Shane Suggs, Keith Howard, Melissa Stohland, Ashley Luckett, Brent Bible, Jeremy Stewart, Abe Stewart, Andrew Stewart, Todd Stewart, Brianna Turner, and Vanessa Gates.

Services will be held at Albright United Methodist Church on Thursday December 10th at 10 AM with Lester’s brother, the Reverend Tom Howard officiating. Casket bearers are Sean Suggs, Shane Suggs, Keith Howard, Todd Stewart, Jarod Merle and Steve Clark. Burial will immediately follow the service at Longwood cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be made to Doctors without Borders organization, 333 7th Avenue, New York, NY 10001-5004.

Source: Trout Funeral Home