Shirley F. Goff

FUNERAL SERVICE FOR SHIRLEY FRANKLIN GOFF, 85, A RESIDENT OF ALBANY, GEORGIA WILL BE HELD AT 11:00 a.m. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2018 AT MATHEWS FUNERAL HOME, 3206 GILLIONVILLE ROAD, ALBANY, GEORGIA. THE FAMILY WILL GREET FRIENDS FROM 10:00 – 11:00 a.m. WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 26, 2018 AT MATHEWS FUNERAL HOME 3206 GILLIONVILLE ROAD, ALBANY, GEORGIA. BROTHER ROY COOK FROM GILLIONVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH WILL BE OFFICIATING. A PRIVATE FAMILY INTERNMENT WILL FOLLOW AT CROWN HILL CEMETERY ALBANY, GEORGIA.

SHIRLEY FRANKLIN GOFF DIED SUNDAY DECEMBER 23, 2018 AT WILLSON HOSPICE HOUSE IN ALBANY, GEORGIA. SHIRL WAS BORN SEPTEMBER 7, 1933 IN LEAF, MISSISSIPPI THE SON OF RICHARD RASAMUS GOFF & THELMA MELLISON BRELAND GOFF. HE WAS THE LAST SURVIVING MEMBER OF HIS ORIGINAL FAMILY OF 8 CHILDREN. HE WAS UNITED IN MARRIAGE TO HELEN JEANETTE CROWELL ON JANUARY 28, 1955 IN ALBANY, GEORGIA. THEY WERE MARRIED A FEW DAYS SHORT OF A 62 YEARS OF BLISSFUL MARRIAGE.

HE CAME FROM MEAGER BEGINNINGS, OUT OF THE SWAMPS OF MISSISSIPPI, AND THAT PROFOUNDLY AFFECTED THE REST OF HIS LIFE. HE OFTEN TALKED ABOUT HIS EARLY CHILDHOOD, ADOLESCENCE AND THE HARDSHIPS OF LIFE AND ABJECT POVERTY. FROM SUCH HUMBLE BEGINNINGS HE ACCOMPOLISHED QUITE A LOT IN HIS LIFETIME AND FOR THAT HE WAS VERY PROUD. HE WAS A VERY STABLE INFLUENCE TO HIS FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND CHURCH AND IN HIS WORK.

HE WENT TO SCHOOL IN LEAF, MS. AND GRADUATED FROM LEAF HIGH SCHOOL IN 1951. SHORTLY THEREAFTER HE JOINED THE MARINES AND SERVED IN THE KOREAN WAR. AFTER THE WAR HE WAS ASSIGNED TO ALBANY, GA. MARINE CORP LOGISTIC BASE. WHILE IN ALBANY, GA. HE MET AND MARRIED HIS WIFE, HELEN. THEY RAISED 3 CHILDREN FRANK, TOMMY AND JEANETTE IN ALBANY, GA. TO PREVENT FAMILY SEPARATION, HE RESIGNED FROM THE MILITARY AS STAFF SERGEANT E5, AND WAS LATER EMPLOYED AT THE ALBANY, GA MARINE CORP LOGISTICS BASE. HE ROSE TO THE LEVEL OF CONTRACTS OFFICER GRADE GS-11, WHERE HE WORKED UNTIL HE RETIRED.

THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE HE ENJOYED SPENDING TIME WITH HIS FAMILY TRAVELING, CAMPING, FISHING AND HUNTING. HE AND HELEN VISITED ALL 48 STATES IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES INCLUDING CANADA AND MEXICO. HE AND HELEN LOVED TAKING ALL THE GRANDCHILDREN CAMPING, FISHING AND VACATIONING THROUGHOUT THEIR EARLY CHILDHOOD JUST AS THEY HAD DONE WITH THEIR OWN CHILDREN. THEY LOVED SITTING AROUND CAMPFIRES IN THE SMOKIES ROASTING MARSHMALLOWS UNTIL ONE OF THE GRANDCHILDREN LANDED A GOOEY BURNED MARSHMALLOW IN HIS CHAIR. ALL WAS FORGIVEN ONCE IT WAS CLEANED UP. OF COURSE MARSHMALLOWS WERE BANNED FROM THE CAMPFIRE AREA AFTER THAT. ANOTHER GRANDCHILD DIDN’T GET HIS FAVORITE MEAL AND STATED “THIS IS THE WORST ONE YET”. SHIRL ENJOYED PLAYING AS MUCH AS THE GRANDCHILDREN DID. HE MADE ZIPLINES BEFORE ZIPLINES WERE COOL. HE MADE THE CAMPSITE AN ACTIVITY AREA FOR ALL TO ENJOY. IT HAS BEEN SAID BY ALL THE GRANDCHILDREN “IT WAS THE HIGHLIGHT OF OUR YOUTH”. MUCH OF THE CAMPING ACTIVITIES DECREASED AS THE GRANDCHILDREN GREW UP AND WERE ON THEIR OWN AND HELEN’S FAILING HEALTH OCCURRED.

HE IN LATER YEARS ENJOYED HIS 14 GREATGRANDCHILDREN STAYING ACTIVE BY ATTENDING EVENTS AND PARTIES IN THEIR SUPPORT CREATING MEMORIES TAKING PICTURES AND MAKING VIDEOS.

ONE OF HIS MOST RECENT HOBBIES WAS USING HIS SMART PHONE AND TEXTING. HE BECAME SO FASCINATED AND INTRIGUED WITH IT, HE COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY ANYONE WOULD STAY WITH A FLIP PHONE WHEN YOU HAD THE WHOLE WORLD IN YOUR HANDS WITH A SMART PHONE. HE COMMUNICATED WTH EVERYBODY OFTEN THROUGH CALLS, TEXT AND PICTURES. WE HAD TO CALL HIM FROM TIME TO TIME ASKING HIM TO INTEPRET SOME OF HIS TEXT AS HE CREATED HIS OWN ABREVIATIONS.

SHIRL WAS A MEMBER OF GILLIONVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH. BEING A VERY ACTIVE MEMBER UP UNTIL HIS HEALTH DECLINED, HE SERVED THE CHURCH IN MANY CAPACITIES IN BEHIND THE SCENE WORK ON NUMEROUS PROJECTS IN THE “OUT REACH PROGRAMS”. HE BECAME A CHRISTAIN EARLY IN HIS LIFE ACCEPTING JESUS CHRIST AS HIS LORD AND SAVIOR. SHIRL IS SURVIVED BY HIS CHILDREN AND THEIR SPOUCES, FRANK (ZAROGA) GOFF, ALBANY, GEORGIA; TOMMY (KAREN) GOFF, LEESBURG, GEORGIA; JEANETTE (WARREN) BALDWIN, LEESBURG, GEORGIA, VENAE WASHINGTON; HIS GRANDCHILDREN SONJA (BRIAN) STOCKETT, WOODSTOCK, GEORGIA; DAVID (LAURA) GOFF, VALDOSTA, GEORGIA; KATIE (KURT) BANNER LEESBURG, GEORGIA; MATT (BABS) BALDWIN LEESBURG, GEORGIA; DUSTIN (JULIA) GOFF VALDOSTA, GEORGIA; JARED (MAGGIE) GOFF ALBANY, GEORGIA;  & 14 LOVING GREAT-GRANDCHILDREN

HE NEVER MET A STRANGER. HE WAS FROM THE OLE SCHOOL – STOP, TAKE TIME AND LISTEN. HE COULD TALK TO A PERSON FOR 5 MINUTES AND KNOW THEIR WHOLE LIFE HISTORY. WHAT AN AMAZING QUALITY. IMAGINE WHERE WE COULD BE IF WE ALL FOLLOWED THAT LESSON. HE LOVED CHILDREN PERIOD, IT DIDN’T MATTER WHOSE, WHAT COLOR, NATIONALITY. YOU COULD CATCH HIM IMITATING DONALD DUCK KEEPING KIDS ENTERTAINED OR HAVING A SHOOT OUT WITH IMAGINARY HAND GUNS WITH THE LITTLE ONES. I THINK THAT IS ONE OF THE CHARACTERISTICS THAT DREW HELEN TO HIM THE LITTLE BOY IN HIM. BY FAR THE MOST NOTABLE QUALITY “HE WAS KNOWN AS A GOOD MAN TO ALL”.

I AM SURE HELEN IS WAITING AT THE PEARLY GATES WITH ATLAS IN HAND READY FOR THEM TO BE ON THE ROAD AGAIN.

IN LIEU OF FLOWERS MEMORIAL DONATIONS MAY BE MADE TO: ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ WILLSON HOSPICE ALBANY, GA 31721