Dr. William ("Bill") Berl Goodheart Jr. was born in Hollywood, California on May 6, 1934 to Mona (Lasley) and William Berl Goodheart. At the age of 13 he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii with his mother, where he attended Punahou School and became an avid surfer. A lover of both physical and intellectual challenges, and accompanied by a quick sense of humor, he would refer to himself as an "old surfer" for the rest of his life. After earning a B.A. in Philosophy from Stanford University, he spent two years at the University of Munich as a graduate student. Following his travels, he returned to Stanford University to earn an MD, and then to the University of Chicago for an internship and residency in Internal Medicine. In Chicago he met Marianna Giacalone, and the two soon married. Returning to California, he trained as a psychiatrist at the University of California Medical Center in San Francisco and the C.G. Jung Analytic Institute.

Bill ran a private psychiatric practice in San Francisco and Marin County for the next four and a half decades, in addition to working as a Medical-Legal Examiner for Worker's Compensation and disability claims in Sacramento and was a consultant to the Marin County Community Mental Health Services. He served as Clinical Faculty in the Dept. of Psychiatry at University of California Medical Center, Training Analyst and Faculty Member at the C.G. Jung Institute, and was Co-Founder and Core Faculty at the Center for Integrative Psychoanalytic Studies in Berkeley. Deeply influenced by his association with Robert Langs, he was not shy about challenging orthodox beliefs, and articulating his vision of psychoanalytic interaction through numerous publications, lectures, presentations, workshops, and courses.

Finding inspiration in scientific literature and works of art, he often quoted his favorite poet William Carlos William's line "No ideas but in things." His continuing intellectual curiosity was matched by myriad outdoor activities, which included family backpacking trips, fishing, sailing, sculling, a month-long solo hike on the John Muir trail, and several years of modern dance training.

Family life was central for him, delighting in the activities of his wife and sons, often claiming they "opened whole new worlds" for him. His gentle and considerate nature, fierce integrity, and love of new experiences was an inspiration to others throughout his life. Upon retirement in 2017, he and his wife moved from their long-time home in Larkspur to Pleasant Hill, near their eldest son. He died just past midnight on the morning of December 25th, surrounded by his family. He is survived by his wife Marianna, sons Ross and Matthew, daughters-in-law Amy and Rebecca, and grandsons Connor and Spencer.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Doctors Without Borders.

To plant trees in memory, please visit the Sympathy Store.

Published by San Francisco Chronicle from Jan. 9 to Jan. 12, 2020.

Memories and Condolences
for William Goodheart

5 Entries

Paul Jarocki

October 13, 2024

Hello Marianna. I am Paul Jarocki who was at Kensington HS with you. My wife and I have lived in the Bay Area for 50 years, and are now living in Richmond. I cannot explain how I got to your husband´s legacy webpage: it just happened somehow on its own. My sympathies to you for your loss. (I recall you were interested in Science of Mind and I poo-pooed your interest. Well, my wife and I have followed Paramahansa Yogananda´s teachings for 54 years, developing our spiritual nature so your side won.) I wish you well in all your doings. You were a valuable friend to me. If you would want to get together, my phone is 510-932-5966

Marvin Acklin

May 11, 2024

He was my Jungian analyst from 1974-1976. I was attending San Francisco Theological Seminary just up Sir Francis Drake Blvd in San Anselmo. It was a good time to be alive. He was a great therapist.

Richard L Russell

January 18, 2020

I knew Dr. Goodheart primarily professionally in the context of our mutual interest in the development of certain psychotherapeutic approaches. He was a gifted writer and a creative thinker, and was always capable of making the listener feel accepted and respected. I always looked forward to his insights and never missed a presentation or a publication of his because he was so insightful. I always came away with new ideas and a feeling that we could make progress in our field. We are going to miss him. My sincere condolences to his family and others who were close to him, and I know there were many.

Alexandra S

January 16, 2020

I had the privilege of working with Dr. Goodheart. Our conversations were always full of insight and joy. He loved to share stories of his surfing adventures and love of family. He treated everyone with kindness, respect and dignity. A true gem- My deepest condolences to the family.

Kathleen Caston

January 13, 2020

So sorry to learn of the passing of Dr. Goodheart. I worked with him in the Office of Employment & Training with the County of Marin. He was such a fine man, and he had such a great sense of humor. I missed him after he retired, and I will always remember how he would send those delicious cookies and fruits to us during Christmas. I'm sending my heartfelt condolences to his family with thanks for sharing him with all of us.

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