R. Christopher Goodwin

Dr. R. Christopher "Chris" Goodwin passed away on February 18th at the age of 73. He was the son of the late Harold Leland Goodwin and Elizabeth Ingeborg Svensk Goodwin of suburban Maryland.

Dr. Goodwin was a dedicated scholar and practitioner of anthropology and archaeology, having graduated from Tulane University (B.A. Honors 1971), Florida State University (M.S. 1973), and Arizona State University (Ph.D. 1979). One of the nation's leading experts in cultural resources management, he was passionate about preserving the past, making it relevant for today, and shaping a better future.

After serving as a Research Associate at the Yale Peabody Museum and a Research Fellow at the United States National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Goodwin established R. Christopher Goodwin & Associates, Inc. As its President and Chief Executive Officer for more than 40 years, he led hundreds of major cultural resource and archaeological investigations, including underwater projects along the Atlantic Coast, the Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and in rivers ranging from the Connecticut to the Mississippi, as well as land-based projects across regions including the Gulf Coast, the Mid Atlantic, the Great Plains, and the Northeast.

Over his distinguished career, Dr. Goodwin received numerous awards, including the National Trust for Historic Preservation's National Preservation Honor Award, the U.S. Small Business Administration's Administrators Award of Excellence "in recognition of outstanding service to the nation," Louisiana's Professional Archaeologist of the Year Award, and Preservation Connecticut's 2020 Award of Merit for his work on Hurricane Sandy resiliency planning studies on land and offshore. He was a respected author of more than 500 monographs and technical reports, including his first monograph Villa Taino de Borqueron: The Excavation of an Early Taino Site in Puerto Rico, published in 1975. His scholarly articles were featured in American Anthropologist, American Scientist, American Antiquity, Florida Anthropologist, and Revista Interamericana.

Chris was a longtime resident of the D.C. metropolitan area and a lifetime lover of New Orleans, Louisiana, the city where he launched his career and that he considered his second home, for its cuisine and music as well as its people and culture. Chris leaves behinds his wife of 43 years Cyd, his son Scott, his daughter Kristina and grandson Merlin. He was a beloved husband, father, and grandfather. He was a consummate storyteller, mentor, and friend. He will be sorely missed. Arrangements were handled by Hilton Funeral Home. For expressions of love and sympathy, please visit hiltonfh.com.