Joanne Eileen Burke Goodnow

1934 - 2019

Joanne Eileen Burke Goodnow

Tunbridge - Joanne Eileen Burke Goodnow, a longtime resident of Tunbridge, died on Tuesday, March 26, 2019 in Mooresville, North Carolina after a brief illness. She was born on May 13, 1934 to Thomas and Eda Burke. As a devout Catholic, she was a long time member of St. Monica's Church in Barre and Our Lady of Light in So. Stratford.

Joanne grew up in Rutland and graduated from Rutland High School in 1951. She married the love of her life Dana Goodnow of Chester, VT on November 9, 1957. During their fifty-seven years of marriage, they raised three children: Denise, Kelly and Chris and lived in Swanton, Wilder, Hartford Village, White River Jct., Barnard, Derby Line, Mendon, Barre and Tunbridge while Dana served with the Vermont State Police.

Joanne was known as being a kind, intelligent, wise and gentle soul with a strong inner bearing which naturally lead to a career in public service. She began working for the VT State Court system in 1963 and after over 30 years of service to the courts of Windsor, Hartford, Rutland, Washington and Orange counties she retired in 1995. Joanne was widely recognized and honored as one of the finest court administrators in Vermont during her long career in public service. After her retirement, she did consulting work for various court systems around the country and also in the Ukraine.

Joanne and her husband Dana loved being part of the Tunbridge community. She served in many official and volunteer capacities. Among the many projects she was most proud of were being actively involved in the Tunbridge Library renovation; the creation of Safeline; the support, as a board member, of the So. Royalton Senior Citizens Thrift Store; and the building of the Chelsea Health Center. Joanne loved to go camping, travel, sew, read, and spend time with family & friends. Her devotion to and her relationship with her eight grandchildren and seven great grandchildren will have a lasting effect for generations to come.

She is survived by two daughters, Denise Goodnow, of Barre, VT, and Kelly Goddard and her husband, Brent, of Mooresville, NC; a son, Christopher Goodnow, and his wife, Andrea, of Salem, NH; grandchildren Andrew MacWilliams and his wife, Deirdre, Bryan MacWilliams and his wife Stacey, Major Brent Goddard II,USMC, and his wife, Sarah, Alyssa McElroy and her husband, Major Patrick McElroy, USMC, Corporal Jonathan Goddard, USMC, and Sam, Molly and Luc Goodnow; great-grandchildren Chloe, Connor and Carson McElroy, Matthew and Luke Goddard, Nicholas MacWilliams and Theodore MacWilliams; and several nieces, nephews and cousins. Joanne is also survived by her sisters; Jeannette Hughes and Irene Vignoe, her brother John Burke and her sister in laws Emmie Burke, Patricia Lafayette, and Barbara Bradle. She was predeceased by her parents, her husband Dana, her brother Lenny Burke, her nephew Lenny John Burke, and her niece Debby Flynn.

In lieu of calling hours a Gathering of Friends will take place Friday, May 3 from 5:00-7:00 on Antique Hill on the Tunbridge Fairgrounds. A celebration of life memorial service will be held Saturday May 4, 2019 at 10:00 AM at the Tunbridge Congregational Church. Fellowship, at the Tunbridge Town Hall, will immediately follow the service. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to: the Tunbridge Library PO Box 9, Tunbridge, VT 05077; the Tunbridge Food Shelf, or the Thatcher Brook Primary School Backpack Program, 47 Stowe St. Waterbury, VT 05676. A private message of sympathy for the family can be shared at www.boardwayandcilley.