Robert Eugene Goodrich

Robert Eugene “Buddy” Goodrich was born November 5, 1922 in Cove, AR to Elmer and Essie Goodrich who left their home and families in west Texas for a period of time to try to eke out a living in the strawberry fields of AR. The family returned home to Vera, TX, where Elmer returned to punching cows. The family moved to Longview, TX , where Elmer had secured a civil service job at the Post Office. Buddy attended Longview High School and graduated in 1940. He was a butcher when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and he joined the Air Force. Buddy was assigned to a B-24 bomber crew as flight engineer. They were based in southern Italy where he flew 50 missions into Romania and Germany during 1942-1943. He married his high school sweetheart, Dessee Beatrice Nash, of Longview,TX, while on leave in 1942. He then got a chance to come back home and serve as an instructor at a base in Laredo, TX, where he remained until the war was over. Ladon Gene was born to them during the time in Laredo. The family moved back to Longview, and Buddy started working for the Post Office. Ken was born about this time and began school in Longview. Buddy was appointed to the Postal Inspection Service in 1955, and the family was moved to Tupelo. He was domiciled in Tupelo until he took a higher level appointment and finished his career in Memphis in the Internal Auditing Division. He was an accomplished musician ( fiddle, guitar, mandolin and bass), and won the State of Mississippi Fiddling Championship in 1965, and came in 2nd in the Texas Fiddling Championship in 1947. He made records with Red Warrick in east Texas in the early 50’s. Buddy retired in 1976 and moved to Pontotoc County. He was a Master Mason and Shriner, deacon for 25 years at Shiloh Baptist Church in Chickasaw County, a Gideon, and a member of the American Legion.

Services will be at 2:00 PM Saturday, September 18, 2010 at Browning Funeral Home Chapel with Bro. Bobby Long and Bro. Bradley Geno officiating, burial will follow in the Eddington Cemetery. Browning Funeral Home in Pontotoc is in charge of the arrangements.

Survivors include his wife: Dessee Goodrich, a son: Ken Goodrich, grandson: Trace Robbins; three great grandchildren: Timothy Goodrich, Cody Goodrich and Annalise Robbins and one great great grandchild: Weston Goodrich.

He was preceded in death by his parents, a daughter: Ladon Gene “Genie” Robbins, a grandson: John Goodrich, a granddaughter: Jennifer Beth Robbins, two brothers: Jack and Danny Goodrich and two sisters: Lady Jane Breed and Dorothy Inez Scharff.

Pallbearers will be: David Vandiver, Timothy Goodrich, Cody Goodrich, Larry Poe, O.L. Finley and Ben Brown.

Visitation will be from 5 to 8 PM Friday and from 12 to 2 PM Saturday at the funeral home.

Condolences may be offered at www.browningpontotoc.com