Mrs. Fern Agnes Gooding

Gooding, Fern, 95, of Tampa FL died on July 19, 2014 of natural causes. She went on to join her husband, Edward Gooding, for that next special dance and to enjoy a cold beer on a hot day with her loving daughter, Donna O'Neal. Also joining her parents, two brothers & a sister for the next adventure. She loved music and square dancing. Her upbeat attitude and beautiful smile lit up any dance floor she was on. She was a member of the group The Country Two Steppers. She was born August 8th, 1918 in Bowen IL., but could not be tied to just one place. She spent quality time in Springfield IL., Colorado Springs CO., and Tampa FL. She was a hard working truck driver for A&A Truckline, which she owned with her husband, & dedicated homemaker in retirement. The most important thing to her was family, and she was the glue that held multiple generations together with love. She taught us all to never waste a good day being inside. She loved taking family on fun-filled picnics to The Garden of the Gods and to Cheyenne Canyon/Seven Falls. She is survived by her two sons, Art and Don Gooding, 10 grandchildren, 19 great grandchildren and 8 great- great grandchildren. She loved and inspired each and every one of us (notably this guy, great-grandson Jason McKeller). She also never wasted a chance to bestow a loving heart and soul upon all that she came across. A memorial celebration is to be held at a later date in Florida and Colorado. Due to her overwhelming love of animals, memorial donations are asked to be directed to the Humane Society or Hillsborough County Animal Services. Reach out and hug a loved one and let them know you love them, because Fern Gooding definitely did to all of us!