Dr. Robert Goard

Robert R. Goard

STAUNTON - Robert R. "Bob" Goard passed away in Staunton, Virginia on June 24th, 2011. A son of the late Hugh R. and Maxie Elliott Goard of the Dry Fork community, he graduated from Whitmell Farm-Life High School, Class of 1950.

He served four years active duty in the U.S. Navy where he obtained the rating of Petty Officer First Class (RD1). Following military service, he attended college at the University of Richmond where he graduated, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.A. in French. He was awarded the coveted Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship for Graduate Study (Honorary) and the National Defense Education Act Fellowship (Title V) for three years of graduate study in modern French literature at the University of Wisconsin,

Madison, Wisconsin. He held the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from that university.

Upon completion of graduate study, he became a member of the Faculty of the Romance Languages Department of Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio, where he taught undergraduate courses in the French language and literature.

He later decided to change careers and went into librarianship. He was granted a Master of Library Science degree from Kent State University, Kent, Ohio. He held a number of library positions at Battelle Memorial Institute, Columbus, Ohio. His last position before regular retirement was that of Corporate Librarian for the firm of Burgess and Nipple, Incorporated, Engineers and Architects, Columbus, Ohio.

Following retirement he returned to Richmond where he worked part-time at the Richmond Public Library until 2007 when he became fully retired.

He is predeceased by three sisters: Reddis G. Jones of Swoope, Virginia, Inez G. Doyel of Oakland, California and Flo G. McNichols of Blairs, Virginia; two brothers: Ira Elbert of Dry Fork and Hugh Dennis of Independence, Wisconsin. He is survived by numerous nieces and nephews and long-time friends Charles Kemper Price and John and Joyce Knox all of Richmond, Virginia. He was especially close to his niece, Vicki Drumheller and her husband Charles of Swoope, Virginia and his nephew Dennis T. Jones, Jr. and his wife Lisa in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Gifts of memory of Mr. Goard may be made to the Richmond Public Library Foundation, and mailed to the Main Library at 101 E. Franklin Street, Richmond, Virginia 23220.

Interment will be in Highland Burial Park, Danville, Virginia on July 8th at 2PM.

Coffman Funeral Home and Crematory, 230 Frontier Drive in Staunton is in charge of his arrangements.

Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.coffmanfuneralhome.net.