Charles W. Goodell

Charles Waterbury Goodell, a forty five-year resident of Lexington, MA passed away on October 17th, 2020. He was born and raised in Wayland, MA. His father was noted modernist architect, Edwin Burpee Goodell, Jr. and his mother was Norwegian-born opera singer Ann Mathea Rogeberg Goodell. Charles graduated from Belmont Hill School (54), Harvard College (58) with a bachelors degree in Physics, and Harvard University with a masters degree in History of Science. He was a member of the Harvard Crew Team and Harvard Glee Club. Following graduation, Charles joined a select group of National Science Foundation funded educators to implement the innovative PSSC Physics program, which he taught at the St. Andrews School in Delaware. His intellectual pursuits led him to teach History of Science at Boston University and Wheelock College and work as a staff editor at the MIT Press. An early and vocal proponent of climate action, Charles enjoyed commuting to work by bicycle in all weather conditions and participated in the Rails-to-Trails movement. As one of only a few parents who had played soccer in school, he coached for a number of years in the Lexington youth soccer program. A lifelong Unitarian Universalist, Charles sang for thirty five years in the choir at First Parish in Lexington. In recent years, Charles took great pride in his work tutoring English as a second language for local residents and supporting anti-war, climate action and social justice causes throughout the Boston area. He is survived by his wife of fifty four years, Trelawney Nichols Goodell, his brother, Francis Goodell of Daytona Beach, FL, his daughter, Trelawney Goodell Fulton of Seattle, WA, his son, Edwin Burpee Goodell II of Lexington, MA and three grandchildren, Zella Marion Goodell, Tristan Hanssen Goodell and Trelawney Nichols Fulton. Family and friends are invited to a graveside service at North Cemetery, Old Sudbury Road, Wayland, MA, 2:00 Sunday, October 25.