Neill Clark Goff

Neill Clark Goff was born at Kings Daughters Hospital in Greenville, Mississippi on November 3.1927, the second child of the late Arthur Barnett and Ada Maie Neill Clark. Her paternal grandparents were the late William Andrew and Mary Nickols Clark; maternal grandparents were the late Samuel D. and Ada Davidson Neill. She grew up in Indianola, Mississippi and graduated from Indianola High School in 1946. She attended Mississippi State College for Women,1946-1948, where she served on the Presidents Council as Sophomore Class President. She transferred to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville in 1950 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Home Economics with a major in Child Development. She married Raymon Walton Goff of Memphis, Tennessee in August of 1950, and moved to Rome, Georgia in 1951.

She taught Vocational Home Economics at Pepperell High School until her husband was recalled to the Navy during the Korean War and went with him to his station in the Hawaiian Islands. Upon returning to the Rome area, she became director of the Rome City Schools Head Start Program and early childhood education. As president of the Georgia Head Start Association, she was the spokesperson to the governor to promote the formation of state-supported kindergartens. She worked for Berry College as director of the Berry College/Klopman Mills Child Development Center and taught early childhood education courses at Berry and Shorter Colleges. She taught kindergarten at Summerville Elementary School, where she was also coordinator for their Drug Prevention program.

She received a Master of Education degree from Berry College in 1973, and Education Specialist degrees in Administration and Early Childhood Education at West Georgia College in 1978, where she was selected as a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Honorary Academic Fraternity. She belonged to the following professional organizations: Georgia Association for Young Children (GAYC); National Association for Education of Young Children (NAEYC); and Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI). She attended national conferences as a workshop leader or as a representative from local, statewide and tri-state chapters of Early Childhood Education organizations.

Mrs. Goff was a member of the First Presbyterian Church for many years, where she served as President of the Women of the Church, circle chairman, Bible study leader, and Sunday school teacher. At the time of her death, she was a member of Westminster Presbyterian Church, having served twice as a member of the Session, as Superintendent of the Sunday school, director of the Bible school, chairman of the Worship and Christian Education committees, Sunday School teacher and circle chairman.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Raymon Walton Goff, in 2002; her son, Raymon Walton Goff, Jr., of Dora Al, in 2020; her brother Judge Authur B. Clark, Jr of Indianola, MS in 1988; and her sister, Ada Clark Watkins, of Fresno, CA in 2010. She is survived by her three daughters, Deborah Neill Goff Foreman (Larry Lee Foreman); Ada Clark Goff (Elizabeth M. Baskin); Helen Inez Goff Holmes (Benjamin F. Holmes III);and daughter-in-law Amy Livingston Goff; her 11 grandchildren, William Livingston Goff; Christopher Lucas Foreman (Casey); Rebecca Foreman Casey (Matt); Harrison Taylor Holmes (Alicia); Carter Neill Holmes; Tucker Davis Holmes (Rachael); Priscilla Holmes Brawley (Caleb); Victoria Somervaill Holmes; James Stovall Holmes; Raymon Jackson Holmes; and Benjamin Ford Holmes IV; and her 8 great-grandchildren Briggs Lucas Foreman; Dawson Law Casey; Katherine Lee Casey; Josephine Grace Holmes; Frederick Reidel Homes; Francis Vadnais Holmes; Charles Martin Holmes; and Edward Bartholomew Holmes; and by other nephews and nieces in Mississippi and California (Arthur B. Clark III; Franklin Boone Watkins; Ada Neill Watkins Dennie; and Dollie Clark Watkins).

A Memorial service will be held at 12:30pm on 12/19/2020 at Daniels Funeral Home, with the Rev. Dr. Dumas (Dee) Shelnutt officiating. Interment will be at the Indianola Cemetery in Indianola, MS.

Due to COVID restrictions we ask that you join the livestream on Daniels Funeral Home facebook page.

In lieu of flowers, donations and memorial gifts may be made to Westminster Presbyterian Church, the American Red Cross, and/or the American Cancer Society.