Louis (Lou) Goodgame passed away on September 13, 2023, at the age of 96 in Brookings, Oregon. Preceded in death by his wife Eva, parents Helen and Harold (Pete) Hooper, sister Susan Davis and brother Charles Hooper. Lou is survived by his five children: David (Shirlee) Goodgame of Kaunakakai, Hawaii; John Goodgame of Fort Dick, CA; Rachel Goodgame of Yucaipa, CA; Ellie (Don) Kurtz of Coeur d’Alene, ID; Mary (Don) Kirk of Brookings, OR: brother James (Sandi) Hooper of Gasquet, CA and 9 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren. Louis “Lou” and Eva Goodgame Lou’s parents divorced when he was young. His mother later met and married Pete Hooper who was a father to young Lou. As part of “The Greatest Generation” he grew up in the Great Depression and learned to work hard and solve problems.Lou was attending Commerce High School in San Franisco where he was a member of the football team and the ROTC program when he volunteered for the US Army at the age of 17 in 1944. On a track to become an army officer he attended Stanford University and planned to continue his studies there and play football. When Lou went into active service in WWII at age 18 his plans were soon to change!Before he was shipped out from Camp Roberts for active military service, he visited his mother and father in Redding California. It was very hot, and his mother lovingly set a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade with a tall glass next to Lou. Then she set a book “The Great Controversary” next to the lemonade. Lou, an avid reader and lover of history, curiously started reading the book and read it from cover to cover. His mother asked him what he thought about the book. Thoroughly absorbed in the book and processing what he had read he replied to his mother that he would like to study more but was soon to ship out. His mother prayed and made him promise to attend the nearest Seventh-day Adventist Church once he arrived at the US Army base in British Guiana. Lou was reluctant to attend church, but because he had promised his mother, he put on his uniform and went looking. Inadvertently he found the local Seventh-day Adventist Church and entered near the close of the service. Realizing that the service was almost over he looked for a quick exit. Pastor Sutton the conference president managed to intercept Lou and asked him over for lunch. Lou studied with Pastor Sutton and was soon baptized a Seventh-day Adventist Christian.When the current (soldier) evangelist was abruptly shipped out Lou reluctant and indignant was pressed into being the evangelist to continue the soldier led evangelistic meetings for the local people. During this experience Lou found a new passion for telling people about Jesus and he was blessed by God with a natural gift for public speaking. He and a fellow Christian soldier buddy raised up a church in the area that much later he learned was named the Lou-Dale Seventh-day Adventist Church after him and his buddy. Louis “Lou” Goodgame By the time Sergeant Lou shipped-out from the army base his plans had changed to becoming a pastor and he headed to Pacific Union College for theology training where he met his wife, Eva. Lou earned a theology degree from Pacific Union College and a Masters of Divinity from Andrews University. He also attended Maryland University. He was a lifelong student of the Bible.Lou pastored on the East Coast having a two-church district (Quincy and Reisterstown in Maryland). As a pastor he was an evangelist, earnestly sharing Jesus. He saw a need; money was raised and a new Reisterstown Church built. Later Lou and Eva decided to move to the West Coast to be nearer their parents. Lou took a temporary position as a teacher. Teaching became a cherished occupation. A long time Del Norte resident. Lou was known to many as Mr. Goodgame, a teacher for 40 plus years and a beloved teacher at Redwood Elementary for most of those years. Along with teaching various subjects he had a passion for sports and coached the Redwood Raiders football team for 37 years. Lou worked hard alongside fellow teachers, staff, parents and students to build a much-needed gym at Redwood Elementary School. He was very humbled when the gym was named the Goodgame Gymnasium. In later years it thrilled him to hear the words “Mr. Goodgame!” and connect with his past students.A volunteer with the Oregon Parks at Wallowa Lake for 40 years, Lou enjoyed many summers with campers, teaching junior rangers, telling stories, organizing hikes, creating “Wallyball”, a unique version of volleyball for campers, preaching nondenominational church services and other activities. One of the campers who was involved with prison ministries spoke to Lou about ministry in the new prison, Pelican Bay State Prison, being built in Lou’s hometown. Lou was not interested. But the camper persisted, and Lou reluctantly promised to call the PBSP chaplain.Lou did not want to call. But he had promised so he called and left a brief message. Chaplain Bliesner promptly returned Lou’s call and put Lou to work as a volunteer chaplain on weekends. After Lou’s retirement from teaching, he went into full-time volunteering as a chaplain. He worked scheduling volunteers to visit and have programs in the chapel for the inmates. He told many stories and taught the inmates about Jesus from the Bible with Bible study classes and sermons. Later he added homiletics (how to prepare a sermon) classes teaching inmates how to preach effectively. His work as a volunteer prison chaplain was his last and most rewarding occupation spanning 30 years. His joy was to see the power of Jesus change the lives of bad boys into God’s men.The family of Louis Goodgame would like to say a special thank you to Monarch Gardens, Curry Village, Chetco Medical Center and Sutter Coast Hospital, and Curry Medical ER for providing Lou with compassionate care during the last months of his life.Thank you, Captain Crawford, and the Fort Dick Fire Dept Board.Lou enjoyed serving on the FDFD Board with all of you.Thank you, Chaplain Foster and Rachel Goodgame who made Lou’s last visit to PBSP possible, and the volunteers and inmates who were there to make it special.A celebration of Louis Goodgame’s Life will be held on October 15, 2023, at 3 pm in the Crescent City Seventh-day Adventist Church. To plant a tree in memory of Louis Goodgame as a living tribute, please visit Tribute Store. googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('ad-1515727'); });