Michael Dudney Goodwin

He is survived by his wife of 60 years Linda, daughters Michelle Williams (David) of Ridgeland and Kimberly Massey (James) of Pearl; son Christopher Goodwin of Detroit; grandchildren Meagan Grantham, Katie Massey, and Ken Williams (Brooke); and six great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by parents Shelton H Goodwin Jr. and Hazel Dudney Goodwin and brother Andrew Goodwin, all of Magnolia, Ark.

He graduated from Tascosa High School in Amarillo TX in 1962 and attended Texas Tech University in Lubbock before volunteering to serve in the U.S. Army in 1964. He was an Airborne medical corpsman attached to the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Mike was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for Heroism for saving the lives of several wounded men under intense enemy fire on January 16, 1967.

After returning from Vietnam, Mike earned a bachelor’s degree from West Texas State University in Canyon. He began his life-long career as a radio broadcaster, sports announcer, and owner after receiving his First Class Radio Broadcasting License from Columbia School of Broadcasting.

In 1983, Mike and Linda bought a small radio station in Carthage, MS, and gave it new life as WSSI. Drawn by the energy and pride of Leake County’s school sports, Mike threw himself into broadcasting—calling as many as 200 games a year for Carthage Attendance Center, Leake Academy, East Central, and other regional teams. In 1994, the Clarion Ledger acknowledged his passion and voice by awarding him the title of Mississippi’s favorite amateur sports announcer, winning by a landslide.

Mike’s legacy was giving everyone their moment in the spotlight—whether calling the high school rodeo, local parades, or even a golf tournament (just once). At McMillan Park, he spent summers calling Little League games, watching young players grow into high school and even college athletes.

Throughout his life, Mike loved playing golf and reading good books. In retirement, he enjoyed multiple hobbies, from coin collecting to gardening to attracting birds to his backyard. He attended youth sporting events whenever possible. Mike’s final years were impacted by the effects of dementia. Linda took great care of him not just during his illness but from the day they married. He will be terribly missed.

The family would like to offer special thanks to caregivers Teresa and Tasha, who provided outstanding care and support in his final months.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association (www.alz.org/donate) or Mississippi Animal Rescue League (https://msarl.org/donate/). The family encourages you to honor Mike by offering a hand, a heart, or even just a moment to those with dementia and their families. It’s in these small gestures that the greatest comfort is often found.