James Edward Good

James Edward Good was born on September 21, 1944 to James and Elsie (Gauthier) Good. Jim grew up in Cedar and attended Glen Lake High School, graduating in 1963. In 1965, Jim moved to Holt and began working at Fisher Body (a General Motors company) as an Off Line Repairman for forty years until he retired in 2004 and returned to Cedar. Early in his career, Jim was a frequent customer at Pokay’s Service Station where the owner’s daughter, Linda, worked as a cashier and was impressed when Jim knew exactly how much gas it would take to fill the tank. When he showed up with a new car one day, he took Linda for a ride. They would ride together for the next 52 years.

The Good family would often return to Cedar for vacation, because, as Jim asserted, “Why go anywhere else when you can go to Cedar?” A Northern Michigan man, Jim loved to hunt, fish and camp. Snowmobiling trips would give way to camp fires and roasting hot dogs and he knew his way around a game of Euchre. Jim was a member of the Interlochen Eagles Aerie 3503, the NRA and UAW Local 602. His social circle, which included his son, met at the Cedar Tavern twice a week. They often encouraged Jim to get knee replacement surgery due to the pain he was in, but, Jim consistently reminded them, “I came in to the world with these knees, I’m going out with them.”

Jim’s own philosophy of life, “you have to play the cards you were dealt”, are of little comfort to his wife, Linda, when he died following a brief illness on September 2, 2020 at the age of 75. His son, also named Jim, will miss the time they spent together, not only as father and son, but also as friends.

Jim is also survived by cousins, Larry Gauthier, Nancy (Vern) Ringle and Betty (Pete) Smith. Preceding him in death were aunts, Marjorie Good, Agnus (Lyle) Eitzen and cousin, Lloyd Gauthier.

The family would like to thank the staff of A-7 at Munson for the compassionate care they provided; especially Jenn, David and Bre who got that last smirk out of him.