FLY CREEK – Geoffrey Harrison Goodwin, 50, passed away on June 15, 2022, at home in Fly Creek. He was born December 30, 1971, at New York Hospital to Gary and Sally Goodwin. The family moved to Cooperstown in 1972 and then to Fly Creek in 1988.
After graduating from Cooperstown Central School with the Class of 1990, Geoff attended Syracuse University where he received a B.A. degree. He worked as a Laboratory Technician at Bassett Medical Center for four years before moving to Boulder, Colorado, where he earned an M.F.A. degree from Naropa University.
Geoff was a writer. His freelance publications were wide ranging but he took the greatest pleasure in his poetry and short stories. He loved and collected books and also ran an independent bookstore where people delighted in stopping by to visit and joke with him. He was fascinated by words and their meanings and got into trouble in high school for reading the dictionary instead of whatever he should have been doing. Based in Natick and Framingham Massachusetts, Geoff really enjoyed living in the Boston area. He had a lifelong passion for the Boston Celtics.
Geoff’s enthusiasm and infectious energy made life interesting. The entire family remembers how he orchestrated the search for his grandmother’s lost rings after her memorial service. He motivated the group to turn an initially frustrating hunt into a fun and satisfying experience. Geoff was intelligent and sensitive. He was appreciated for his sense of humor and quick wit as well as for his kindness. He stayed in touch with many people and he treasured his community of friends near and far.
In 2014 Geoffrey’s back was injured in an auto accident caused by a drunk driver. He faced chronic pain and health complications for the rest of his life. He returned to Otsego County in 2019. He never lost hope but the COVID-19 pandemic hampered his rehabilitation efforts. His unexpected death was due to cardiac failure.
Geoffrey is survived by his parents, Gary and Sally (Marks) Goodwin, his brother, Thomas Goodwin, his beloved aunts and uncles, Sharon Cresci of Auburn, Maine, Elizabeth Gunn and Don Kash of Norman, Oklahoma, and Harrison and Suzie Marks of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, and his cherished cousins, Kathryn Marks (Jim Nelson) of Alexandria, Virginia, Andrew (Lindsay) Gunn of Norman, Oklahoma, and Benjamin (Tracey) Marks of Isle of Palms, South Carolina.
When you think of Geoff hug a friend, offer encouragement or share a cup of coffee.
A gathering to celebrate his life will be held at a later date.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
If you would like to send condolences to the family, send an email to Connell, Dow & Deysenroth. We will forward your comments to the family. If you would like to send flowers in memory of the deceased, contact Mohican Flowers at (607) 547-8822, or A Rose is a Rose at (607) 264-3100.
