Leonard J. Goodman

Leonard J. Goodman of Needham, MA passed away on November 30, 2023 after a brief illness and a blessedly long life. He was 93 years old. 

Len was born in 1930 and raised in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston with his 3 younger brothers and many close cousins. He attended Northeastern University and was the first person in his family to graduate college.

After serving briefly in the Air Force, Len started his own business in Quincy - Car Storage of Boston - where he met and married Carol [Szczesny] Williams, had 2 children (in addition to the 2 children he had several years prior) and lived in Brookline briefly before moving to Needham in 1972, where he’d live for the rest of his life.

Len eventually took a job with his cousin’s company, The Interface Group, where he acted as Vice President of Operations for the next 20 years. He and his second [former] wife Marianne [Martori] Goodman enjoyed many years of traveling the world for work and pleasure, and Lenny continued to devote most of his free time to playing golf [at the Framingham Country Club] and enjoying the great view of Fenway that his Red Sox season tickets provided. 

An avid handball player for most of his life, Len skied around New England as a young man and dabbled in photography, but in his later years there was no doubt his most fulfilling and important pastime was being with his grandchildren - visiting them at their homes; watching them splash around in his pool; snuggling up on the couch to watch TV; encouraging ice cream after dinner whenever possible; passing along his ‘Don’t be a bozo!’ mantra to the next generation; and just hearing his ‘best little and big pals’ talk about their lives.

Len was preceded in death by his parents, Samuel and Rachel [Tonkin] Goodman; his youngest brother Richie Goodman of Randolph; many dear cousins; and a lifetime of close friends, including Ron Wood of Anchorage, Alaska. 

Len leaves behind many grieving friends including John Bradley of Vienna, VA; many former co-workers; and a large family including two brothers, Don Goodman of Duxbury [formerly of Framingham] and Jerry Goodman of Dedham [formerly of Needham and Medfield], many loving nieces and nephews, and his four devoted children - all of whom loved him very much: Stephen Hourin and his wife Tracey of Marlton, NJ; Roger Hourin and his wife Tracy of Sanford, ME; Brad Goodman and his wife Kathryn of Nashua, NH; and Kim Goodman of Belmont, MA ~ plus 9 beloved grandchildren (Devin, Kris, Katie, Zoe, Noah, Eden, Samantha, Jack & Henry) and 3 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Ave, Needham, MA on Saturday,  January 6th at 11:30am, with a celebratory brunch to follow.

In lieu of flowers, it would mean a great deal to the family if you would consider a contribution to the United States Handball Association to help sustain and promote the sport which Len loved, and which brought him such fulfillment throughout his life. https://www.ushandball.org/product/first-ace-development-fund/