Richard L. Goodman III passed away on February 8, 2022, at the age of 71. Richard, known to the world as Rick, wore many hats; both literally and figuratively. He was a dedicated husband of 44 years to his beloved wife Linda Goodman. To his 4 children: Jordan, Corky, Jennifer, and Jake, he was the best father anyone could hope to have and more. To his 4 grandchildren: Jacob Wayne Goodman, Kinsley Kay Goodman, Avery Kay Johnston, and Isabella Dawn Goodman, he was their “Granddaddy” and sometimes “Pappy”. To the oil and gas industry, he was simultaneously a Mud Engineer, a Consultant, a Company Man, and a friend.
Rick was born September 23, 1950, in Victoria, Texas. Throughout his life he traveled to every corner of the Earth from the gates of McFaddin Ranch to the military bases in Okinawa, the far-flung jungles of Indonesia, the volcanoes of the Philippines, and the distant reaches of South America. Rick saw a lot and managed to live even more.
Rick’s father, Richard L. Goodman Jr,. was lost fighting for his country in the Korean War when Rick was only two years old. He was raised by his mother, Dudley Dawn Goodman Mendenhall, his stepfather Joe Mendenhall, his Grandfather Dudley W. Jordan, and his grandmother Emilie Egg Jordan. Family was always important for him.
Rick graduated from Palo Verde High School in Tucson, Arizona in 1968. He returned home to Victoria and graduated from Texas A & I University with a double major of Political Science and History.
He fell in love and married Linda in 1977. The next year the couple built their home and welcomed the birth of their first child, Jordan, the year after. Rick and Linda would welcome another three children: Corky, Jennifer, and Jake.
His career as a Mud Engineer took him across the world before his children were born. Once the kids were here he made it a point to stay closer to home. There’s probably not a single well drilled in South Texas within the last 40 years where Rick wasn’t somehow involved.
He was a dedicated father, husband, and one of the hardest workers ever to climb on to a drilling rig. He was also everyone’s favorite consultant whether it was a about drilling a well, solving the world’s problems, or just asking for help with homework.
When Rick wasn’t on a drilling rig he loved hunting, fishing, reading, researching (especially researching family), debating, playing with the children, and telling everyone stories. He did a lot of those on the rig too.
He liked to say he was a Dinosaur because he was the last of his kind. Nothing describes him better. Perhaps he wasn’t really the last of his kind. He was one of a kind.
