Douglas E. Goodman

Doug Goodman, 70, of Machesney Park passed away June 27, 2025, 38 months after his diagnosis of glioblastoma brain cancer. He was born June 20, 1955, in Lansing, Michigan, to Carl and Rita Goodman. He graduated from Ionia (Mich.) High School in 1973 and then earned a journalism degree from Ferris State University. He worked at newspapers in Michigan, Colorado, Washington D.C. and Rockford, where he was on the Register Star Staff for 30 years. He retired in 2019. He loved to travel, visiting all but two states (North Dakota and Rhode Island). He also traveled internationally, with trips to Cuba, Brazil, England, Colombia, France, Italy and throughout Central America. He and his wife, Judi, loved cruises, taking 25 since 2003. As a history buff, he never missed a chance to tour Civil War battlefields. He loved sports, whether it was watching or playing. He golfed weekly with his buddies, Jon Reynolds and Jerry "JamR" Lemke. Doug was never a great golfer or even a good golfer but loved the game's challenges and did have a hole-in-one. He also played softball until age 63. He was a distance runner in his younger days and loved to play lunch time basketball with his buddies from the newsroom such as Barry Wood and Randy Ruef. After two hip replacements took away his ability to run, he began racing cars at Byron Dragway where he finished in top five several seasons in the street division standings. He also won the 2008 season track championship teams at the Great Lakes Dragway in Union Grove, WI. Doug was a lifelong Detroit Tigers fan, attending World Series games in 2006 and making trips around the Midwest to see Tigers games. He also attended Tigers fantasy camps with the 1968 and 1984 World Series Championship teams. There he met his boyhood hero, Al Kaline. Doug was a long time member of Peak Sports Club and a regular in the spin and weight lifting classes. He loved riding his bicycle on area paths and Rock Cut State Park trails. He would ride his age in miles on birthdays. He also enjoyed the thrills of scuba diving, sky diving, bungee jumping, and sport fishing with his buddy Wally Haas on the Great Lakes. However, his greatest joy was rooting for his beloved 14 year old grandtwins, Isaac and Kenzie, at their sporting and school activities. He is survived by his wife, Judi; stepdaughter, Diane (Kevin) Wagner; stepson, David (Scott Thompson) Clark; grandchildren, Isaac and Kenzie; sister, Barb Goodman; brother, Larry (Colleen) Goodman; nephew, Jeff (Amy) Goodman; and niece, Lori (Brock) Lamphere. His life was blessed by his God and as a grateful friend of Bill W for 35 years. Memorial visitation will be on Tuesday, July 8, 2025 from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM in Honquest Family Funeral Homes with Crematory - Mulford Chapel, 4311 N. Mulford Rd., Loves Park, with a memorial service at 6:15 PM. To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Douglas E. Goodman, please visit our floral store.