Ted L. Goodell

Ted L. Goodell

Oxford

Ted L. Goodell, 85, died Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023, at Compass Memorial Hospital in Marengo. “I must be dead, I read it in the paper.”

A Celebration of Life will be held from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 23, at Phillips Funeral Home Chapel, 212 E. Sixth St.,Vinton. Graveside services will take place following the Celebration of Life on Saturday, with full U.S. Navy military honors. Following the burial, a luncheon will be provided at the George. G. Lucky post 57 in Vinton.

Ted was born on Oct. 4, 1937, in rural Benton County, the son of Forrest and Helen (Bickal) Goodell. Ted graduated from Urbana High School, with the class of 1957. Following graduation, Ted enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1958 and continued his service for 20 years before retiring from the military. On July 13, 1957, he was united in marriage to Shirley Brehm. The couple later had six children together. During his enlistment, Ted was able to see and live in many beautiful places, such as Honolulu, Hawaii, San Diego, Calif., Oakland, Calif., Heyward, Calif., Norfolk, Va., and Columbia, S.C. After retirement, Ted and Shirley settled down in Oxford, Iowa. Ted was on the USS Enterprise when it caught on fire and had a series of explosions on Jan. 14, 1969.

Following his retirement from the U.S. Navy, Ted was employed by the University of Iowa and ran his own janitorial cleaning company. Ted enjoyed fishing, gardening and showing off his produce to local businesses in Oxford. Above all else Ted loved his family and lived for his grandchildren, attending many of their events. He was lovingly known as Papa Ted or PT for short.

Ted is survived by his children, Mary Helen Cocklin of Indiana, Mark (Judi) Goodell of Iowa City, Aaron (Susie) Goodell of Williamsburg and Erica Goodell-Hejlik of Springfield, Va.; grandchildren, Kayla (Tyson) Jones of Washington, Karrie (Marco) Seguro of Indiana, Matthew (Kristin) Cocklin of Indiana, Abby Goodell, Alissa Goodell of Iowa, AJ Goodell of Des Moines, Kyle Goodell of Williamsburg and Brianna Hejlik of Springfield, Va.; great-grandchildren, Titus Jones, Kaysen Jones of Washington, Chloe Cocklin, Kaylyn Cocklin, Torin Cocklin and Addisyn Cocklin, all of Indiana; and Amalia Seguro and Emilee Seguro of Indiana; brothers, Leon (Sam) Goodell of Boyd, Texas, Gary Goodell of Apple Valley, Calif., Kim (Beverly) Goodell of Smyrna, Ga.; sister, Linda Edler of North Liberty; and sister-in-law, Karen Goodell of Urbana.

Memorials can be directed to Compass Memorial Hospital in Marengo, Iowa, for the excellent care and compassion they gave Ted in his final days.

He was preceded in death by his wife; parents; daughter, Cynthia Goodell; son, Joseph Goodell; sister-in-law, Marlene Goodell; and brother-in-law, Richard Edler.

“I’m the nicest guy you ever met, just ask me.”