Community volunteer, world traveler

Passionate about history and literature, former longtime Pomona resident Claudine Goodell saw the world not only through books and old documents, she saw it from the sky. A number of years ago, she flew around the world with Mt. San Antonio College's “Classroom in the Sky” program, getting a bird’s eye view of the Himalayas, the Pyramids and so much more. “My mom was so interested in the world, so curious,” said her daughter, Kathleen Brown, noting that she also flew to the North Pole and the Yucatan Peninsula with Classroom in the Sky. At age 100, Ms. Goodell died on March 28, 2009 at the Claremont Manor Care Center. Ms. Goodell was born in Richard City, Tennessee on January 30, 1909, the eldest of 3 surviving children.  In 1919, she and her family moved to Los Angeles, traveling by train and, because her mother was a very proper lady, wearing fancy dresses. “There was probably a lot of soot, and there they were, in these little white dresses, for days and days,” said Ms. Goodell’s daughter. Ms. Goodell graduated from Franklin High School in Highland Park in 1926. An accomplished seamstress, she made most of her own clothes. In 1927, she married Harold W. Goodell who she had met at church.  Just over a decade later, in 1939, Ms. Goodell and her husband moved to Pomona to open an ice cream shop called “Frosted Malted” on East Holt Avenue.  They closed the shop after World War II but remained in Pomona. Ms. Goodell was an active member of the Trinity United Methodist Church in Pomona and sang in the choir for 50 years.  She belonged to United Methodist Women and was most noted for chairing the annual Friendship Luncheon for 15 years.  Very handy and possessing a keen eye for detail and décor, one of Ms. Goodell’s many talents was decorating tables according to the chosen theme. While her husband was becoming a successful State Farm Insurance agent, Ms. Goodell worked as a homemaker and a community service volunteer.  She was appointed commissioner of the Pomona Parks and Recreation Board and was elected president of the Pomona PTA Council. She also became a Camp Fire Girl leader as well as director of Day Camp.  She was a member of Mother Singers, the Republican Women’s Club, the Black Tavern Historical Society and the Chadbourne Family Association. Ms. Goodell’s love of literature and history led her to become active in the Friends of Pomona Public Library, for which she served as president for 2 years, and the Historical Society of Pomona Valley.  During a trip to Massachusetts, she rescued 50 letters written during the Civil War by her husband’s grandfather. She enjoyed reciting poetry and also writing Haiku poetry. Into her late 90s, Ms. Goodell could recall and recite poems she shared with her children decades in the past. “My sister would start to recite an old poem, and my mother would be right with her. Her long-term memory was amazing,” said her daughter, Ms. Brown. Always interested in seeing and learning about the world, Ms. Goodell enjoyed many trips domestic and abroad. A history buff, the educational nature of the Classroom in the Sky adventures suited her well. In 1991, after selling their home in Pomona, Ms. Goodell and her husband moved to Claremont Manor where they were involved in the chorus and volunteer activities. Ms. Goodell is survived by her 4 daughters, Barbara Pierce and her husband Harold of Brea, Judy Flippin and her husband Charles of Pomona, Paula Green of Pollock Pines and Kathleen Brown and her husband Phil of Murrieta; and by her 10 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Harold W. Goodell, in 1999; her parents, Floyd and Hattie Mitchell; her sister, Pauline Brown; and her brother, Henry Harold Mitchell. A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on May 30, 2009 at Trinity United Methodist Church, 676 N. Gibbs, Pomona. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Trinity United Methodist Church.

Claremont Courier 2009. Submitted by Kathleen Brown