Michael Lewis Goodwin

Michael Lewis Goodwin was born in San Jose, Calif., on Oct. 29, 1947, the son of William "Bill" and June Goodwin, immigrants of England and Canada. He passed away on March 4, 2020 in Soledad. He was 72.

Mike grew up in the Santa Clara Valley and graduated from Saratoga High School (class of 1965), where he excelled both academically and athletically, playing on the varsity baseball, football and wrestling teams.

He went on to the University of Santa Clara and graduated in 1969 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business; and it was where he met his wife, Janet Rianda.

He worked from a young age in his father's business, a cherry and pear packing shed which included a holiday fruit gift company, in Santa Clara (when the valley was still full of orchards, and before houses and condos overtook the flowering trees) and then with Christopher Ranch in Gilroy. He later worked in the Hi-Tech industry at Signetics (Phillips) in the Silicon Valley.

He joined Janet in San Francisco, their home for almost 20-years, before moving to Arroyo Seco. As with all things he did, Mike embraced living in the City by running five miles a day, up and down Potrero Hill where they lived, and making friends with everyone he met (he could make a tree talk!). He was the unofficial mayor of San Bruno Avenue, making sure the street was safe.

Now living near his San Francisco Giants, "Mr. Baseball," (so called, as he could recite Giants stats for hours) attended many games. Mike and Janet would play hooky to go to many weekday day games, which were their favorite!

Mike could fix anything; loved live entertainment of all types; loved dancing and his Rolling Stones; enjoyed gardening; and reading his many history books, especially those about WWII. He and Janet travelled to Mexico, Hawaii, Costa Rica and cruised through the Panama Canal with her parents, Milton and Norma Rianda, and to the South Seas, where he fulfilled one of his dreams by scuba diving in Bora Bora.

Mike moved to Arroyo Seco in 2006 when Janet took a job in Newark, Calif. He embraced Soledad as he had San Francisco, making many friends. He spent many weekends in Newark and took care of their home in Arroyo Seco until his health declined. Mike and Janet were so fortunate to find Diana (Jeff) Binsacca, who became his caregiver while he was at home. She continued to help them both after he entered Eden Valley Care Center almost two-and-a-half years ago.

In addition to Janet, Mike is survived by his brother, Douglas (Raeann); niece and nephew, Grant and Amy Goodwin; his Soledad family, Norma (Milton, deceased), Lynn (deceased), Anne, Elmer (Hap), and Janet's cousins Renee (Thad Transue) and Neal Rianda, and Charles (Cindy) Cassinelli; his loving caregiver Diana; a daughter; and two grandchildren.

A remembrance in Mike's honor may be sent to The National World War II Museum at 945 Magazine St., New Orleans, LA 70130 (www.nationalWW2museum.org) or the Soledad Historical Society at PO Box 593, Soledad, CA 93960 (www.soledadhistory.org).

Arrangements by Woodyard Funeral Home in Soledad, WoodyardFuneralHome.com.

A celebration of life to be held at a future date.

Published in Soledad Bee · March 18, 2020