Curtis Jack Good

Curtis Jack Good, 86, of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, Calif., passed away peacefully on Aug 11, 2025, at Hospice of the North Coast Pacifica House in Carlsbad. Jack will be remembered as a “Builder” in every sense of the word: of homes, of businesses, of communities, and most of all, of family. His wisdom, loving guidance and humor as beloved patriarch will continue to guide the Good Family for generations.

Born on Sept. 26, 1938, in Columbus, Neb., Jack was the son of Curtis W “Willie” Good and Evelyn Nylotis Good (née Kuklish) and older brother of William Fred “Bill” Good. Jack’s family moved to National City, Calif., when he was two years old. His father worked as a streetcar operator for the San Diego trolley line before opening Bill’s U-Rent, which he and Jack’s mother operated together. Even as a boy, Jack showed a remarkable gift for fixing and building – from go-carts to race cars and complex machinery. These skills would later become the foundation of both his career and a lifetime spent tinkering in his home woodshop.

In 1979, Jack co-founded Good & Roberts, Inc., a general contracting firm originally based in Carlsbad, Calif. Together with his co-founder, V. Stan Roberts, and their wives, Elizabeth Suzanne Good and Dorothy Jane Roberts, Jack built the company into one of San Diego’s most respected mid-sized commercial contractors – still in existence today as a subsidiary of C.W. Driver.

Under Jack’s leadership, Good & Roberts completed many landmark projects, including the restoration of the Oceanside Pier in 1985, the construction of St. John the Evangelist Catholic school in Encinitas in 1998, and numerous biotech and laboratory facilities at UC San Diego and on the Torrey Pines Mesa, as well as projects for Gen-Probe, Kelco, Solar Turbines, Northrop Grumman and General Atomics. Jack served on the Board of Directors for the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) and later for the San Diego Chapter of the Associated General Contractors (AGC) Health Insurance Trust.

Beyond his business, Jack was also actively involved as a member and booster of the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA in Encinitas, serving as Chairman of the Board from 1999–2001. Jack’s company also built the Y’s Gary Biszantz Family Gymnasium and its skatepark, with the facility naming its erstwhile “Jack Shack” for him.

Jack was a man of many passions. A lifelong athlete, he was the pitcher for several softball teams, did two eight-day Grand Canyon Colorado River rafting trips with family, and took scuba diving trips around the world with Elizabeth. Jack and Elizabeth were among the first 50 Americans to travel, dive, photograph, and explore Sipadan Island, off the coast of Sabah Borneo, Malaysia, and were proud active members of the San Diego Underwater Photographic Society. Jack also loved sailing adventures throughout the Caribbean and British Virgin Islands.

For 15 years, Jack and his family enjoyed a second home near Telluride, Colorado, where they skied in winter and led jeep tours in summer.

Even into his late 80s, Jack would regularly walk 10,000 steps in a day along Cardiff State Beach often with his beloved German Shepherd, Sasha, and/or Rhodesian Ridgeback, Leo. He was known in his family as a “dog whisperer,” as his three loyal Rhodesian Ridgebacks — Bibi, Miss Pinkerton, and AKC Champion Nev — calmly obeyed his soft voice and watched over him during his illness.

Jack was also a devoted San Diego Padres fan, cheering as a season ticket holder since 1983 from the stands of both Jack Murphy Stadium and later Petco Park.

Known for his humor, optimism and generosity, Jack was always ready with a joke, a light-hearted prank, or a helping hand. A lifelong philanthropist, he asked for little in return but gave freely, whether teaching his great-grandchildren about baseball, advising anyone who would listen on saving for retirement, or sharing tips on how to turn a Jeep on a tight corner. Jack truly understood how to live a balanced life, often saying “everything in moderation.” He would order a chicken fried steak for dinner one night, and an açai bowl the next. He also loved skipping the menu altogether and asking wait staff to “surprise him” with their favorite dish (he claimed to have never been disappointed).

Jack married three times during his life. He wed Bonnie Lee Smith in 1957, and they had one daughter, Deborah, a year later. In 1962, he married Carol “Leasa” Harris, and they welcomed three sons: Curtis “Mark”, Robert, and David. In 1980, he married Elizabeth, his beloved wife of 44 years, with whom he shared countless adventures and a deep, enduring partnership.

Jack was preceded in death by his son, the late Curtis “Mark” Good, and son Robert’s wife, Cheryl. He is survived by his brother, Bill (Elicia), his wife, Elizabeth, and his children, Deborah L. Morton (Robert), Mark’s wife Robin, Robert D. Good and David M. Good (Sandie). Jack was a proud grandfather to Tiffany Fox, Lanna Cervantes (Abel), Aaron Good, Kelsie Good, Avery Morton Cannoy (Christopher) and Molly Morton and great-grandfather to nine cherished great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Mass will be held, with details to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to Hospice of the North Coast of Carlsbad, Saint John the Evangelist Catholic School in Encinitas, or the Magdalena Ecke Family YMCA.