William W. Gooden

William W. Gooden, 75, of Mt. Vernon, IN passed away on October 16, 2023, at Deaconess Midtown Hospital. He was born March 12, 1948, in Evansville, IN to the late Cecil "Bill" and Cleo (Chambers) Gooden.
Bill was a 1966 graduate of New Harmony High School. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Indiana and graduate degree from the Indiana School of Law, where he was a member of Marching 100 and on the Law Review. Bill's goal was to be a public defender. In 1973, he began his career in Vincennes, but shortly after moved to Mt. Vernon and began private practice. For 12 years, he served as prosecutor then went back to his first love, which was being a criminal defense attorney even though he could practice several types of law. Bill was a public defender for Posey County and Vanderburgh County. He argued some successful cases before the Indiana Court of Appeals and the Indiana Supreme Court. Because of Bill's commitment to being a public defender, he was presented the Gideon Award by the Indiana Public Defender Council. This is a very prestigious award, as it is not given annually and only to those that stand out for their exceptional performance in specific cases or throughout their career. Bill was recently recognized for practicing 50 years by the Posey County Bar Association.
"I was proud of my job, because with every case I was defending the constitution." – William W. Gooden
He was an active member of St. John's Episcopal Church, Kiwanis and he supported the NEWLIFE Rescue and Adoption. Bill had several enthusiasms besides law, including being a wine connoisseur and reading and writing French. He read the Bible cover to cover each year for 35 years. Bill was a Civil War enthusiast and enjoyed reading about American history. His favorite fictional author was James Burke. Bill loved traveling and his favorite vacation was cruising the rivers in Europe. He was proud of and loved all of his grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Faith Harper Angel.
He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Susan (Haywood) Gooden formerly of Madisonville, KY; children, Ginger Angel (Brock), Nathan Gooden (Kendall), Allen Rutherford (Lauren) and Amanda (Matt) Datesman; grandchildren, Riley and Colby Angel, Kaison and Jagger Gooden, Rowan O'Brien-Rutherford, Max and Fischer Datesman; brothers, Don Cantrell (Ann) and Rick Gooden (Paula); and a nephew, Donnie Cantrell (Donna).
Memorial service will be held at 2:00 pm on Wednesday, October 25, 2023, at St. John's Episcopal Church, 602 Mulberry St., Mt. Vernon, IN with Fr. Allen Rutherford officiating. Burial to be held at a later date.
Visitation will be held from 12:00 noon until 2:00 pm service time on Wednesday at the church.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. John's Episcopal Church, P.O. Box 503, Mt. Vernon, IN 47620 or NEWLIFE Rescue and Adoption, 6500 Leonard Rd. N., Mt. Vernon, IN 47620.