William Edward Goodale

William Edward Goodale (bill), longtime Ketchikan resident and business man died quietly on August 4, 2012 in Sequim, Washington of natural causes. He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Bonny J. McKay.

Bill was born September 19, 1921 in Watertown, Massachusetts, the second son of seven children to Raymond and Laura Goodale. He graduated from Newton High School in Boston in 1939 and immediately entered military service. He served with the British until the United States entered World War II after which he was transferred to the US Army Air Corps, 52nd Fighter Group where he became a decorated veteran of the North African Campaign under Generals Patton and Eisenhower. He was honorably discharged as a sergeant on June 16, 1945.

Bill traveled by train across Canada from New England to come to Alaska to fish with his Uncle Ed Bugden. He was a commercial halibut fisherman for five years, during which time he married Minerva “Bud” Selig and had three children, William C. Goodale, Marjorie L. Tedrick Turner and Laura L. Morton. He also had a step son, George Selig.

Later, he would become the owner of Schmolck Plumbing Heating and Sheet Metal. He was a member of the Elks, Lions, Eagles VFW, American Legion and Redman lodges and as a business man, a longtime member of Rotary club in Ketchikan.

Bill remarried in 1972 and had two more step children, Betty Samuelson and Bob King. He retired in 1984 and became a gentleman farmer in Sequim, Washington where he lived with his wife, Bonny for the last 28 years.

Bill is survived by all of his children and step children and his eleven grandchildren: Shaunna Yates, Laura Tedrick-Garcia, Jared Goodale, Clifton Tedrick, Myles Goodale, Cheryl Ludvik, Cindy Selig, Shannon Hallman, Deanna Hallman, Julie Beckman and Jennifer Randall. He is also survived by 17 great grandchildren.

He will be missed by all who knew and loved him. He is one of a number of characters who helped to shape Alaska from territory to Statehood after the Second World War.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to Hospice.