Dr. David Goodenough

1944 - 2025

Dr. David John Goodenough passed away at his home in Garrett County, Maryland on January 13, 2025. Born on October 3, 1944, in Reading, England, he was the son of the late Douglas Frank and Irene Goodenough.

Dr. Goodenough had a long, distinguished, academic and professional career. He moved from England to the United States in 1959 where he attended the Norwich Free Academy in Norwich, Connecticut. He received a B.S. in Physics and a Ph.D. in Medical Physics from the University of Chicago. He then went on to become a Professor of Radiology at The George Washington University Medical Center where he taught for over 35 years. In 2010 he was awarded Emeritus status by The GWU Board of Trustees. After retirement from his university post, he remained active as a consultant for The Phantom Laboratory.

Dr. Goodenough was also founder and long-time President of the Institute for Radiological Image Sciences. He was recognized by many colleagues for his brilliance and enthusiasm as a medical physicist. He was always available to help others in his field of expertise and mentored scientists all over the world. He was published over 150 times and awarded numerous patents. Along with his own extensive research, Dr. Goodenough also consulted with the Veterans Administration in pre-purchase testing of all their CT and MRI systems.

In his personal life, Dr. Goodenough loved traveling, spending time with his family, feeding wild birds and then watching them from his breakfast table. He loved the Chicago Bears, blue birds, horse-racing, especially The Kentucky Derby, Samoyed dogs, dog shows, particularly Westminster Kennel Club, trees, stars, UFOs, and rainbows. And last, but not least, scratch offs. He was British to the core and loved all things British, from pickled onions to mushy peas. More than anything, he just loved people. He loved meeting new people. He could talk for hours to anyone about anything. He was kind, generous, and eternally optimistic.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Marjorie Goodenough; two daughters, Jennifer Goodenough and Meredith Goodenough; four grandchildren, Annabelle Tolley, Emmaline Tolley, Aiden Tolley, and Owen Tolley; one sister, Diane Chenette; a host of beloved nieces and nephews; his life-long best friend, Steve Sandler; many dear friends, including Gerry and Becky Wilson; and goddaughter Ruthie Leatherman. He is pre-deceased by brother, Dennis Goodenough, and sister, Doreen Toth. A viewing will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 PM on Monday, January 20th at Thompson-Harman Funeral Home, 31 East Main Street, Middletown, MD 21769. The funeral service will be held at 12:00 PM at Mount Zion United Methodist Church in Myersville, Maryland. 603 Main Street, Myersville, MD 21773. Interment to follow in adjoining church cemetery. Dr. David Goodenough