Gloria Gale Goddard

We knew Mom’s Alzheimer’s was advancing when she matter-of-factly announced that she had gone on a date to a beach party with Elvis. We decided to cherish stories like these with humor and as part of her legacy.

Gale was a stubborn Aries, completely independent, yet very much a lady. She loved music, especially the music of her husband, and she loved game shows, Walker, Texas Ranger, Bingo, and a good game of Scrabble. She always carried red lipstick in her purse because no matter where she was going, a lady needed to be prepared.

Born in 1936 in Neptune, New Jersey, Gale was a lifelong Wall Township resident. She was a hard worker and a natural caregiver. She started working as a waitress at Pat’s Diner while still in high school. Later, she owned a luncheonette and a small catering business, where regular customers would proudly declare that she made the best fried chicken in the North. Her grandchildren will especially miss her famous macaroni and cheese,

but the memories they carry will be about so much more than food. They will remember her love, her determination, her sense of humor, and the way she made family feel like the most important thing in the world.

Gale's caring nature extended far beyond her own family. She served as President of the New Jersey National Guard Auxiliary and was instrumental in starting the Family Assistance Office and Food Pantry, helping military families when they needed it most. Her dedication to others was recognized with a commendation from First Lady Barbara Bush, Attorney General Vito Morgano, and Governor James Florio.

But perhaps Gale's greatest accomplishment was the family she built and loved so fiercely. She and her beloved husband, MSG James R. Goddard, shared 42 years of marriage and raised four children. She was preceded in death by her beloved husband and her daughter, Sherrilynn, as well as five of her six siblings.

She is survived by her children, Kathleen Louviere and her husband Buck, Cristine Pasterchick and her husband John, and James Goddard, Jr. and his wife Tracy; her grandchildren, Amanda Wolfe and her husband Zach, David Kessler, Walter Meisenbacher, Hailey Pasterchick, Courtney Pasterchick, and Catelynn Pasterchick; her great-grandchildren, Brandon and Maverick Wolfe, and her brother Oliver Heulitt and his wife Kathy.

Gale also received wonderful care and companionship for five years from the staff and caregivers at Tower Lodge Nursing Home, and her family is deeply grateful for the kindness and dignity they showed her.

Gale’s life was not defined by Alzheimer’s. It was defined by the people she loved, the meals she made, the music she enjoyed, the lives she touched, and the wonderfully stubborn, funny, elegant woman she always was.

And somewhere, we like to think, Gale is wearing her red lipstick, holding that winning lottery ticket, listening to her favorite music—and getting ready for her next date with Elvis. We praise God for her bright and wonderful life.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Gale’s memory can be made to either the Alzheimer’s Association of New Jersey at https://www.alz.org/nj

Or to the Activities Director at Tower Lodge Care Center at (1506 Gully Rd Wall, NJ 07719).

A Celebration of Life is planned for October 20th, 2026 at 1:00pm at the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Memorial Cemetery located at 350 Province Line Rd, Wrightstown, NJ 08562.