Harold Ray Goodman

February 8, 1925 - August 18, 2022
Beloved son, brother, nephew, uncle, husband, father and grandfather, Harold Goodman passed away quietly aGer a short illness at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital, at the amazing age of 971⁄2. Born to Ethel Maud and Ralph James in the small village of Frampton on Severn, Gloucester, U.K., he was the middle of seven children. Coming of age during the Great Depression and then WWII, Harold and all his family worked very hard to put food on the table and pay the rent. Moving from place to place to find employment, the family eventually seXled in Norton Malreward, where Harold began work at 10 years old milking cows before and aGer school. He finished school at 14 and worked full Zme on the farm with two of his brothers. This challenging life insZlled Harold's lifelong work ethic from a young age
The raging war came close to home as they lived near enough to Bristol, with many a load of LuGwaffe bombs dropped all over southwest England. Harold had not been allowed by the Government to join the Armed Forces because he was employed as a farmer, necessary to his country's food producZon. Instead he stayed on the land, working alongside the Land Girls, young women brought out to the country to work alongside these young farm boys. Finally, on June 6, 1944, Harold and his family watched as waves of aircraG flew overhead toward France as, unbeknownst to them, D-Day had begun!
The lure of Canada was strong, as his father spent Zme in Western Canada before WWI and came back telling tales of this far-away paradise. In 1950, with only 10 pounds sterling in his pockets, he sailed to Montreal and made his way west to Calgary, Alberta. Finding a job with the CPR as a Bridgeman he lived and worked on the rails as a mobile repair worker, brutally hard work winter and summer in the Rocky Mountains. You can imagine his wonder at the peaks that touched the clouds and thundered down avalanches! His days off would frequently find him dancing the night away, and at one establishment, Penley's Ballroom, he met a lovely young woman with the bluest eyes and the sweetest laugh, Peggy Foster. As he put it, he "spent some enjoyable evenings" and looked forward to his days off in town. They married back in England in Peggy's hometown on Boxing Day 1955, with family surrounding them.
In February, 1956 they returned to Calgary, a trip by boat, bus, and train of almost three weeks, wondering if they'd ever see family again. AGer years of hard work and frugality, they bought their own house, the first in their families to own their own home. Life changed and became more complete with the addiZon of two sons, Ian in 1959 and Brian in 1963. Without family here, Harold and Peggy relied on new friends of whom there were many. They were a fun loving, social couple hosZng parZes, dinners, BBQs, and opening their home to countless friends and visiZng family members who were now able to fly over. Harold leG the CPR aGer 7 years to join the Post Office as a leXer carrier, a perfect job for a gregarious man. Walking kept him in good shape too! AGer a few years, he became a Postal Officer in charge of a depot, a decidedly posiZve step up. Saving up for holidays with children, friends and family members from England, they spent their summers in a tent or trailer in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains or south in the US in Idaho lake country. Fishing, campfires, bears and horseflies - quite the change for a couple from the English countryside! Eventually Hawaii became an annual winter desZnaZon, where they were surrounded by sunshine, friends and fun Zmes.
Once reZred in 1990, Harold and Peggy fulfilled a life's dream by moving to Vancouver Island in 1990, seXling in a lovely bungalow in Parksville. They soon realized that living in such a beauZful place opened the floodgates to an endless stream of family and friends, and they were wonderful hosts to all and sundry for many years. Harold and Peggy joined the League at Sunset Bowling Lanes and met many new friends there too. Harold also loved his golf games with a few likewise duffers devoted to not taking the game too seriously! Harold was an adoring Grandad to all four of his "kiddlywinks". Making sure that he had fresh sand for their play pile, growing gardens FULL of fresh vegetables, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, picking blackberries, taking the liXle ones around in the jump-seats of his liXle truck, the hot tub, mini golf, beach days wading in the water, sandcastle days, picnics, birthdays, anything fun was on the menu; how paZent he was with them. He was truly the patriarch at the head of the dinner table, regaling us with tales of his boyhood, his many memories, and stories of family history.
Harold lost Peggy, his "Flower" and the love of his life for 651⁄2 years on September 22, 2021. He couldn't last long without her, not even a full year. Harold has been predeceased by most of his generaZon of family and contemporaries, except for his loving sister, Enid Rollason and his close friend and brother-in-law, Peter Hawkings, both in England. He leaves to mourn his passing his son Ian (Ginny), grandchildren Sean Goodman and Bryna Goodman, son Brian, and grandsons Spencer Goodman and Mitchell Goodman and their mother Karen Drewe (Steve Van Ingen). There are also many nieces, nephews, second and third generaZons of their families in the UK, some who never knew him, but now he's their ancestor somewhere on their family tree. We will forever feel the loss of this fun loving, kind-hearted, talented, hardworking father and grandfather. He was one of a kind and will always be a part of us, in our thoughts and in our hearts.
Celebration of Life: Please join us on December 27th, 2022 at 2:00 p.m., Yates Memorial Services, Parksville, B.C.
Please let the family know if you will be attending by December 21st, by emailing bgoodman1017@outlook.com.