Sally W. Goodrich, 65
BENNINGTON, Vt. - Sarah "Sally" Wales Goodrich, 65, of South Stream Road died Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010, at home surrounded by family. Mrs. Goodrich, whose son Peter M. Goodrich died in the 2001 terror attacks, was founder of Families of September 11th and the Peter M. Goodrich Memorial Foundation. She became a true global citizen and, with her husband, Donald W. Goodrich, rallied communities here and abroad to support a better understanding of the worlds' people.
Born in Newton on May 12, 1945, daughter of Peter and Mary Donavan, she spent her early years in Bennington and attended St. Agnes' School in Troy, N.Y. She said she had "the ideal childhood" growing up on Crescent Boulevard and going to Camp Hochelaga on the shores of Lake Champlain. At age 4 she was quoted as saying, "nobody is the boss of me grandmother!" showing an indomitable spirit that was prevalent throughout her life.
She was freshman class president at Connecticut College and, after she and her husband married, they both attended Castleton State College and the University of Vermont, from which they graduated in 1967. She went on to obtain master's degrees in education from Boston University and Simmons College. In 2009, she received an honorary doctor of humanities from Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.
Mrs. Goodrich's professional life was devoted to educating elementary schoolchildren with a specialty in reading remediation. She worked in schools in Southern Vermont and Northern Berkshire County in Massachusetts and recently was the Title One coordinator for the North Adams (Mass.) Public Schools.
A former Bennington School Board member, she served on the boards of many organizations and spoke at commencement ceremonies and in classrooms and gave presentations. She honored by a number of organizations and was named ABC News "Person of the Week" for her efforts in Afghanistan.
She committed many years to raising her two boys and supporting local community causes in the Berkshires. She organized events that supported many different causes with the common thread of "need." A confidant and surrogate mother to many including the friends of her children, Mrs. Goodrich's family officially grew by one in the '80s with the addition of Kim Trimarchi; she had always wanted a daughter.
Family and friends described her as a woman who believed that helping others was of first importance. She approached life with a blend of curiosity, sincerity, honesty, reality and just the right amount of laughter. She was a friend to anyone willing to be honest with her.
Mrs. Goodrich was a mother, a wife, a sister, a friend, a mentor, a community activist, an educator, a creator of many things, a driver of initiatives, a leader, a founder of organizations, a world citizen, a lover of laughter, a listener, a caregiver, an advocate and a fighter for all that mattered to her - and there was a lot that mattered.
Her final chapter was marked with the loss of her son and the creation of a personal crusade to help those in need. In Afghanistan she and her husband organized, raised funds for and built a girls' school. Through the Goodrich Foundation, she funded sustainable farming, health-care initiatives, clean-water projects and other educational opportunities in Afghanistan. These efforts culminated in the sponsorship of 20 Afghans who are currently here in the United States furthering their education.
It is not so much what Mrs. Goodrich accomplished but how she did it. She will be missed by many, said family; all who knew her loved her then, love her now and will love her always.
Besides her husband, she leaves her son, Foster Goodrich Hetherington and his wife, Janine Hetherington, of Bennington, Vt.; her daughter, Kim Trimarchi and her husband, John A.; three brothers, Peter, Mark and Jed Donavan, five grandchildren and nieces and nephews.
FUNERAL NOTICE - Services for Mrs. Goodrich will be held at Old First Church in Old Bennington on Thursday, Dec. 23, at 3 p.m., followed by an Irish celebration at the church barn on Monument Circle.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory of may be made to the Peter M. Goodrich Memorial Foundation through the office of Mahar & Son Funeral Home, 628 Main St., Bennington, VT 05201.