Ronald "Ron" "Vince" Lee Goodman

Ronald "Ron" Lee Goodman, 83, died August 25, 2026. Born March 21, 1943, in Carbondale, Illinois, Ron was the son of Steve and Ann Goodman. He later made his home in Castle Pines, Colorado, returning to be closer to family after the death of his husband, Gerald Lieberman, in 2020.

Ron graduated from Johnston City High School in 1961 and earned a bachelor’s degree of Arts from Southern Illinois University. He earned the nickname “Vince” from his friends for the art projects he was always working on while in college. He began his working life teaching high school art in Harrisburg, Illinois—an early expression of the steady creativity that would remain a hallmark of his life.

Ron quickly decided that teaching was not his strength and decided to take a break by joining a monastery in Oklahoma. After a few years, he decided this was also not the lifestyle he anticipated and returned home. This ended his military deferment which resulted in his draft notice from the U.S. Army. He served from 1968 to 1970, including eight months overseas in Vietnam. He was deployed next to Ft. Carson, Colorado, where he received his Army discharge. It was during his time in Ft. Carson that he fell in love with Colorado.

However, after the military, Ron returned home and purchased a flower shop in Johnston City, Illinois and named it “Hacienda Flowers.” His holiday window displays were always anticipated for their beauty and whimsey. His flower arrangements were unique and colorful, reflecting his creative attention to what might brighten someone else’s day. During this time, he also earned an associate’s degree in interior design at Rend Lake College. Colorado was calling his heart though, and in time, he moved back to the Colorado Springs area, working several different jobs. He ultimately found a professional home at JCPenney as Display Manager, a role he loved for the constant change and the chance to make something new and flex his ingenuity.

Ron met Gerald in 2010 at a party while living in Arvada, Colorado and also started volunteering at the Denver Museum of Art together. They moved to New Mexico to be married December 9, 2013. They lived in Santa Fe a few years before moving to Placitas, New Mexico and their dream home. Together they traveled to Italy, and with Gerry’s kids and families, to a few tropical locals, enjoying interesting sites, food and the local culture. Among their joys—visiting museums, collecting art, and volunteering at El Rancho de las Golondrinas, a ‘living museum’ exhibiting daily life and trades of the 1700’s. Ron demonstrated weaving, using historically accurate looms while Gerry served as a docent. Their shared life reflected a quiet devotion to one another, to beauty, and to the communities they chose to serve. Oh, and a few dogs rescued along the way.

An artist at heart and a self-proclaimed weaver, Ron was talented across many art forms and delighted in making things by hand. He created amazing floral decorations, the cake and most of the bridesmaids’ dresses for his sister’s wedding and bejeweled egg-shells for Christmas ornaments. He found pleasure in tending his roses but also guarding the weeds because he liked their flowers too. He loved to cook, throwing fantastic parties with elaborate menus and carefully imagined table displays and settings. At Christmas, everyone received homemade fudge, and once, he made hand-woven scarves to celebrate the rare time the whole family was together in Colorado. He collected sets of dishes and carried a dream of opening a bed and breakfast. He enjoyed time with family, including touring model homes with his sister, touring the Christmas Lights routes, music and operas, and decorating everyone’s home who asked.

Ron’s gentle way with people was matched by his gracious way with life itself. When something he (or anyone) created contained a mistake, he could still see what was worth keeping, and would say, “It gives it character”—a simple phrase that captured his ability to find beauty, extend kindness, and make room for imperfection. It’s a phrase worth taking to heart.

Ron was preceded in death by his husband, Gerald Lieberman; his father, Steve Goodman; his mother, Ann Goodman; his brother-in-law, Ryan Shipton, and his beloved dog, Eddie.

He is survived by his brother, Mike Goodman (Sharon); his sister, Sheryl Shipton; his nephew, Tod Goodman (Jane); his great-niece, Isabella Goodman; his nephew, Brett Goodman (Dawn); his great-niece, Morgan Sass (Kevin); his great-niece, Haleigh Cook (Austin), and great-great nephew just joining the family days ago; his niece, Kelly Riggle (T.J.); his great-niece, Taylor Riggle; his great-nephew, Jordan Riggle; his niece, Erin Shipton; and his niece, Robyn Shipton (Chris Kubanyi).

A Committal Service with Military Honors will be held at 1:00 pm on October 9, 2026, at Bear Cañon Cemetery, 397 N Perry Park Rd., Sedalia, Colorado 80135. Afterwards, everyone gathered there is invited to Sheryl’s house at 434 Sly Fox Way, to celebrate and honor Ron’s life and talent.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (https://www.alz.org/), El Rancho de las Golondrinas, 334 Los Pinos Rd., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87507 (https://altru119235p.sky.blackbaud.com/119235p/Total-Contributions-Annual-Fund), or True Companions Animal Shelter & Clinic (formerly MaxFund) a true no kill shelter and the shelter where Ron and Gerry adopted most of their beloved pets (https://truecompanions.org/)).