Martha Catherine Gooding

Martha Catherine Gooding, 61, passed away Monday, October 15, 2012 after a courageous battle with cancer. Martha was born on January 4, 1951 in Lubbock, Texas to her loving parents, L.B. Jones, Jr. and Catherine Crum Jones.

Martha is survived by her husband and best friend of 38 years, John; sons, John III and wife Brittainy of Houston and Jason of Austin; sister, Laura (Janie) Mortimer and husband Stan, and their children Michael, Colin and Amanda of Albuquerque, NM; sister, Amy Lewis and husband Michael, and their children Audra and Jessica of Lubbock; and sister-in-law, Joan Hamelwright and husband Michael, and their children Michelle, Hunter, Marshall and Emily of Austin.

A 1969 graduate of Monterey High School in Lubbock, Martha attended Texas Tech for 2 years before transferring to the University of Texas at Austin, where she graduated with a B.S. in Nursing in 1973.

Upon graduation, Martha began her critical care nursing career at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin. In 1978, she started her 34 year career with the Seton Family of Hospitals, working in the ICU at Seton Main. In 1991, Martha moved to the new Seton Northwest Hospital where she helped open the ICU and worked until she was forced to take a medical leave earlier this year.

During her long nursing career, Martha received numerous awards and honors including Critical Care Nurse of the Year for the Seton Family of Hospitals and the Texas Nurses Association District 5 Fabulous 5 Nurses Award. Martha also served on numerous hospital committees where she championed improvements of practices and procedures to benefit patient care. She was instrumental in getting the Seton NW ICU to be recognized as a Beacon Unit, the highest award a critical care unit can receive, and in encouraging colleagues to continue their training and attain CCRN certification.

Martha also loved attending the annual National Teaching Institute critical care conferences to learn about the latest developments in nursing. On seven occasions Martha presented informational posters at these NTI conferences.

Martha was a strong role model and mentor to many younger nurses. Her entire nursing career was shaped by her desire to provide compassionate care to her patients and support to their families while at the same time giving outstanding clinical care. Martha's calm demeanor, quiet but persistent advocacy, and medical/clinical expertise helped shape and improve critical care nursing at Seton for over 3 decades.

In addition to her passionate dedication to nursing, Martha loved to travel, hike, shop, and spend time with her family and friends. She especially loved taking family trips to Yellowstone and other National Parks, going to Colorado in the fall to see the leaves change, touring different Hawaiian Islands, and taking cruises. Martha's award-winning pumpkin bread will be a special treat missed by many this holiday season.

Shortly before passing, Martha wrote a lovely note for her family and many friends. It said in part: "I have had a charmed life. Be happy for all the wonderful times I have had with you. Celebrate my life and yours. I will always be with you in spirit. I thank each of you for enriching my life".

Special thanks goes out from the family to the doctors, nurses, and staff at Texas Oncology, MD Anderson, Seton and Hospice Austin for their compassion and excellent care.

Friends and colleagues are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, October 19th at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home at 3125 N Lamar. A memorial service celebrating Martha's caring life will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, October 20, 2012 in the Weed-Corley-Fish Chapel.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the "Martha C. Gooding Foundation for Compassionate Nursing", 9901 Salvia Cove, Austin, TX 78759. This foundation will promote the practice of caring, attentive patient care as well as the education and training of new nurses through scholarships and financial assistance.