Obituary
Mary Lou Goodrich

Mary Lou Nancy Miller Goodrich, born January 16, 1932 in Port Carbon, Pennsylvania died peacefully at her home in Raleigh, North Carolina on March 6, 2025. The youngest daughter of Henry Lewis Miller and Mary Huntzinger Miller, Mary Lou was named after both of her parents. She valued family foremost, and joked that with a double Christian name like Mary Lou, she was clearly destined to live down south. Born during the depression, and only 7 when World War II started, she remembered the scrap drives; her brother running away to join the military; and the pride of our country. An avid lover of big band music during the jazz age, teenage Mary Lou danced away many nights at concerts held in Deer Lake, PA. She played piano until she was 92. In 1950 she was the first person in her family to attend college, graduating with a teacher’s degree from Westchester University in Pennsylvania. Mary Lou married Haven Warner Goodrich of Battleground, Washington in 1954, meeting him while they both worked at the ALCOA plant in Cressona, Pennsylvania. Beginning in 1957, the young couple welcomed three children into the family: Teri Lynn, Robert Warner (Bob), and David Alan. With Warner’s work at ALCOA, the family moved frequently, including time in Australia. She continued teaching as a substitute, and at home. When Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, Mary Lou encouraged her 3 young children to write their impressions of this momentous occasion - a teacher/mother wanting to capture a lifelong memory through a homework assignment. Bob found the assignment appealing as he had already decided (and later became) an astronomer. Mary Lou and Warner retired to Raleigh in 1982. These were supposed to be carefree days, but Warner died of mesothelioma in 1985. Under her leadership, the family established a scholarship for graduating seniors in Warner’s old high school. A lifelong Methodist, who sang in the choirs at many churches, Mary Lou was active in Sunday School, her UMW Circle, both Stephen and Martha Ministries, and volunteered as a receptionist at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church in Raleigh. Mary Lou also served as a leader of The Grand Age Club. While serving on the Missions Committee at Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, she volunteered to “observe” another church’s sponsorship of the resettlement of three political refugees from Burundi. She quickly overachieved, taking Dominique, Emmanuel, and Gaspard under her wing, and becoming integral to their new life in the United States. She would say that this was her purpose for coming to Raleigh. In 2017, she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma. She fought hard for the next eight years, ultimately succumbing to heart failure. She died peacefully with Tausi Brooks, Teri and David by her side. She leaves behind Teri (John Kistle), Bob (Petra Goodrich), David (Vanessa Manuel), and Dominique Langira, Cynthia (19), and Noah (10). She loved her extended family, including her nephews and nieces: Laurie Miller (Vince Mallow), Gail Shirey, Barbara Welch (David), Dianne Bensinger, Bob Shirey (Pam), Bill Shirey (Nancy), Linda Schuett (Michael), Nancy Brown (Don) and all their children. Mary Lou lived her life believing that if you were kind and tried to become a good person that that was enough. She did well at being good. In lieu of flowers, Mary Lou requested that donations be made to one or both of these worthy causes: - Wee Care: https://www.weecareinc.org/ - Multiple Myeloma Research Fund: give.unc.edu/tribute/goodrich Wee Care is a program that provides free preschool education for economically disadvantaged children, It is based at Mary Lou’s church, Hayes Barton United Methodist Church, Raleigh, NC. Mom’s oncologist, Dr. Sascha Tuchman at the University of North Carolina, has a foundation that supports his group's multiple myeloma research. Both funds were selected by Mary Lou for her memorial tribute.