Donald Lamar Goodyear, 88, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013. Funeral: 11 a.m. Friday at First Baptist Church of Arlington. Interment: Moore Memorial Gardens. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Arlington Funeral Home. Donald was born May 15, 1925, in Des Moines, N.M. He was the fourth of six children. He married Edna Goodyear on Oct. 30, 1948, and they had two sons, Gary and Charles. Don served in the Army Air Corps, stationed in the Azores during World War II. He became an engineer after graduating from Texas Tech University. In 1952, they moved to Arlington where he worked for Vought for the duration of his career. Don was a follower of Jesus and a deacon at First Baptist Church, where he served in many different capacities and worked many volunteer hours with Mission Arlington. Don was instrumental in starting the children's basketball league at First Baptist. He was also very involved in the parking, outreach and greeting ministries at the church because of how these ministries led him to Christ. He loved to build things, including his home in Arlington and multiple cabins in New Mexico. Don was preceded in death by his parents, four of his siblings and his wife, Edna. Survivors: Brother, Burt Goodyear of Gordon; sons, Gary and his wife, Carolyn, and Charles and wife, Kay; grandchildren, Gary Don Goodyear of San Antonio, Emily Goodyear Klophaus, Jack Goodyear and Ben Goodyear of Arlington, Cari Ann Goodyear Riney and Crissa Goodyear Stinnett of Keller; great-grandchildren, Benjamin Klophaus, Bailey Goodyear, Hunter Stinnett, Abigail Klophaus, Libby Goodyear, Grant Goodyear, Claire Goodyear, Tessa Goodyear, Gillian Stinnett, Jack Alan Goodyear and Kyle Goodyear.
Published in Star-Telegram on August 22, 2013