Shirley B. Goodman

She was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but grew up in New York City, New York.

She was preceded in death by her father, Bernard Belfer and mother Dina Steinberg Belfer (both of whom were immigrants); her husband of 62 years, Dr. Melvin Goodman; and her daughter Karen Groot. She is succeeded in life by her son, Gordon Goodman and his wife Gastonia Goodman; and by her many grandchildren and great grandchildren including Daniel Groot, William Goodman, Allison Goodman and her husband Lowell Pickett, Emma Goodman and her fiancé Cian Riordan, and Daya Myers-Hurt and her wife Laura Myers-Hurt.

Shirley married her husband in August of 1945, shortly after VJ Day, while he was serving in the Army. She graduated from Hunter College in 1946 with a degree in English Literature and Education and taught in the New York City school system for five years. Shirley returned to graduate school to receive her Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from NYU in the 1960’s and spent the rest of her career (more than 25 years) working as a social worker, initially with Jewish Family Service in New York and subsequently with the State of Texas Mental Health Department in Temple, Odessa, Vernon, and Rusk. She was the co-author with her husband of several articles on mental health and the treatment of the mentally disabled, and she was a compassionate and wise counselor to families throughout Texas.

Shirley was a member of Congregation Emanu El where she was a regular at Saturday morning Torah service, and she spent her final years at the Village of Tanglewood where she had many friends. She was grateful to Adela Delgado and all of her care givers at the end of her life.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from four o’clock in the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening, on Thursday, the 5th of July, in the drawing room of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

Interment will be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Friday, the 6th of July, at Emanu El Memorial Park, 8341 Bissonnet Street in Houston, where Rabbi Josh Fixler is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to Jewish Family Service; 4131 S. Braeswood Blvd., Houston, TX 77025.