David V. Goodman

David Vernell Goodman born May 27, 1962. He was a hardworking, humble man whose life was marked by resilience, love, and a deep bond with Nature. He was born in Niles, Michigan and grew up in the small town of Riley, Indiana where he learned the values of hard work, simplicity, and self-reliance from his parents John and Elizabeth Goodman-values that led him throughout his life. In his youth, he loved spelunking the caves of Southern Indiana, fishing, camping with friends, fixing vehicles, gardening with his mother and riding dirtbikes. He was an avid guitar player, but he preferred to tune his friends' guitars because he would rather hear them play.

For many years, David worked as an iron cutter-A physically demanding trade that required precision, toughness, and perseverance. He also was deeply artistic and worked as a billboard painter back when they were painted meticulously by hand.

Life was not always easy for David. He faced long seasons of struggle and walked a difficult road for much of his life. Yet his story was also one of perseverance through many trials. He never stopped trying to do better, to learn, and to keep moving forward. Those who knew him best understood that his strength was forged through hardship, and that during the struggles with addiction, he never stopped loving those around him deeply. He was blessed with an abundance of family that never gave up on him.

He was a very resourceful man, always taking pleasure in the smallest things most others could easily take for granted such as an old rock, a coin or even a pair of broken eyeglasses somebody else once held. Simply because he knew and cared deeply about how much meaning something so simple could have held in someone else's life and the stories they could have told. He never stopped seeking further knowledge and insight; especially when it came to our world and what is beyond it, everything about life fascinated and motivated him even further to become who he was.

To truly understand David, you had to understand his love of the outdoors. His passions were hunting and collecting ancient native artifacts, mushroom and ginseng hunting, camping and hiking the woods with his children, and plowing with his old ford tractor to create a beautiful garden every year. The earth grounded him, offering peace, purpose, and reflection. Nature was a way of connecting him to family, friends and God.

At the heart of his life was his wife, Lorinda Goodman, who stood beside him through every season-through struggle, growth, and healing-with unwavering loyalty and love. They were together 41 years and through all the trials he faced, her steadfast presence was a constant source of strength and grace in his life.

David is survived by his wife Lorinda Goodman and he was a compassionate and kind father to two children- David Goodman and Tiffani (and Wade) Gibson as well as a proud grandfather to his three grandchildren-Quincy, McCoy and Ollie Gibson, each of whom brought him deep joy and meaning. He grew up in a grounded family with love and laughter. He was one of six siblings- Cheryl Goodman, Jerry Goodman of Duggar, Sharon Bower of Riley, Dorthy (and Gary) Zimmerly of Niles Michigan and Shawn Goodman of Terre Haute. He is also survived by many nieces and nephews and several lifelong friends. He was known as "dad' to his sons' best friends Xavier Humes of Terre Haute and Jacob Gwinn of Cory whom he thought of as his own. He always said his most proud accomplishments were his children and grandchildren.

He was also blessed with and preceded in death by his mother Elizabeth Goodman, his father John Goodman, his nephew Shane Goodman and his three lifelong friends- Brent Barbee, James Smith and Joe Reynolds -whose friendship, laughter, and loyalty meant more to him than he often knew how to express.

In his later years, David finally found a sense of peace-one rooted in the love he received from those around him, in the quiet rhythms of nature, and a humility that defined who he was. He never believed he deserved God's love, yet he came to understand the magnitude of the gift freely given to him. In that understanding, he found rest.

He will be remembered as a man who kept going, who loved quietly but deeply, who had an old soul, was a bit of a hippie, who found peace in the quiet places and whose life reminds us that grace often meets us not in perfection, but in humility.

Visitation will be held on Friday, February 13, 2026, at DeBaun Springhill Chapel beginning at 1:00 p.m. Service will begin at the funeral home at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Matt Baughman officiating. Burial will follow at Van Cleve Cemetery.