Obituary of L. Joan Goodman

L. Joan Goodman (nee Mehltretter) of Lawrenceville, NJ, died peacefully at home on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, three weeks shy of her 80th birthday. Born in New York City, NY, she was raised on Staten Island, NY, by her foster parents, Vincent and Minnie Ernst and their daughter, Anna. She graduated first in her class from both St. Sylvester's School (in 1950) and New Dorp High School (in 1954). She received a scholarship to the College of New Rochelle and graduated magna cum laude in 1958. After two years as an Ursuline novitiate, she decided to return to secular life and earned her master's of arts from Catholic University in Washington, DC, on a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship. Joan first taught high school English at Northwestern Senior High School in Prince George's County, MD, and spent the last 26 years of her career at Princeton High School in Princeton, NJ. She became a well-loved and respected institution known as "JG" there. Students did not take her courses to get an easy "A," but to learn how to write well. She also advised the award-winning student newspaper, The Tower, for 10 years, staunchly defending its freedom of the press when necessary. After retiring in 1999, Joan, always a social activist, kept incredibly busy with extensive volunteer, church, and charity work. She also began to travel, ultimately visiting more than 70 countries. When her grandchildren arrived, she made regular trips to see them in between their visits to her. She was an avid reader, and never drove anywhere without a "Books On Tape" playing. Joan loved to be outdoors, walking and bicycling year-round and cross-country skiing whenever possible. Joan is survived by her two beloved sons, John V. Goodman and his wife, Dorota Bulik of Malden, MA, and Christopher J. Goodman and his wife, Kim, of Round Rock, TX; her three grandchildren, Nicolas, Maya and Theo; her brother, Albert Holtje and his wife, Anita, of Staten Island; her sisters, Irene Lamprecht of San Antonio, TX, and Jennie Coins of Harlingen, TX; her ex-husband, James A. Goodman of Princeton, NJ; many nieces and nephews, other family, dear friends and former students, and her cherished cats, Kami and Zeke. Calling hours will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Monday, April 25, at the Chapel of the Church of St. Ann, 1253 Lawrenceville Rd. (Route 206), Lawrenceville, NJ 08648. Joan's Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday, April 26, at the church. Interment will follow at Lawrenceville Cemetery on Lawrenceville Road. It was Joan's wishes that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Doctors Without Borders or the Church of St. Ann, 1253 Lawrenceville Rd., Lawrenceville, NJ 08648.