Ray Nolan Gooding

Ray Nolan Gooding, 83, passed away peacefully on June 14, 2024. Ray, a resident of Snohomish, Washington, is survived by his wife of 58 years, Ruth Gooding (née Rothengatter), four sons and their families: Glenn and Suzanne Gooding (Gaudinier), Barry and Kim Gooding (Speller), Ted Gooding, Josh and Kristy Gooding (Shackelford), nine grandchildren, and one great-grandchild. He leaves behind his sister, Sondra Finegold (Gooding), and was preceded in death by his sister Patricia Storms (Gooding) and brother Gary Gooding.

Born April 21, 1941, in Newport, Kentucky, Ray moved to Arizona with his family at the age of 9. He enlisted in the Air Force upon graduating high school, where he was trained to maintain bomb navigation equipment. Ray had tremendous mechanical aptitude and pursued a career in many mechanical fields, including aircraft mechanic at Lockheed Martin where he met his wife, auto mechanic, service manager, millwright, and facility manager at Associated Grocers where he designed and maintained an extensive warehouse operation. He was proud of his profession and was quick to help others needing car repairs, welding, mechanical troubleshooting; anything that provided a puzzle to be solved.

Ray was a mountain of a man with a huge presence. You always knew when he was in the room. Loyalty, integrity, hard work, personal responsibility, and pride in family were his hallmarks. He never failed to attend a sporting event, Cub Scout activity, or coaching opportunity for his sons. Ray loved the Pacific Northwest and moved his family to Everett from Phoenix in 1972. He had a passion for fishing and logged thousands of hours in one of his many boats, fishing for salmon and halibut with his sons. He loved music, provided it was classic country or bluegrass. There was nothing you couldn't ask of him. He always had his family's back.

Ray’s relentlessly consistent commitment to his core values left an indelible mark on his sons. They are a product of that example, creating a living legacy that has continued to his grandchildren. He will be missed.

Please join us for graveside services at Evergreen Funeral Home & Cemetery, 4504 Broadway, Everett, WA on July 13 at 12:00 PM. A memorial wake will be held afterward at the funeral home.

Donations in his name can be made to: Wounded Warrior Project @ https://support.woundedwarriorproject.org/Default.aspx?tsid=11585&ovr_acv_id=19376&campaignSource=ONLINE&source=BS24017FAABREMA&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm7lAR3gPsaPI06EMa0FV0LbjHPv963QSlnYM6Y_XnTImslZTfnZREwaAqyIEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds