James Franklin Goodrich

James Franklin Goodrich January 24, 1913 July 16, 2012 James F. Goodrich, 99, passed away peacefully on July 16th, 2012 at his apartment at Oceanview in Falmouth, Maine, with his wife and a son by his side. Born on January 24, 1913 to Captain William F. and Helen Mohler Goodrich in Fennville, Michigan, he graduated from Jackson High School (Michigan) in 1931. Mr. Goodrich was an Eagle Scout and Sea Scout who early on had the sea in his blood. His small town life changed dramatically when, at 16, he traveled the Atlantic by ship to England for the 1929 International Scout Jamboree. He saw England, crossed the English Channel to France and from this moment his eyes were opened to a world he had to see through a growing passion for ships and maritime history. In 1937, Mr. Goodrich received a BS in Naval Architecture and Engineering from the University of Michigan. He then joined the Merchant Marine, transporting oil from Venezuela to the East Coast. In 1940, as World War II loomed, he became Chief Engineer and Naval Architect at the Todd-Pacific Shipyards in Tacoma, Washington and played a key role in the Liberty ship war effort by helping to develop the mass production of escort aircraft carriers. Following the War, Mr. Goodrich co-founded Deep Sea Trawlers, Inc., a company that pioneered the Alaska king crab industry of today. In 1957, he was appointed General Manager of Todd's Los Angeles Shipyard in San Pedro, California, where he demonstrated his uncanny ability to assess ship damage and then estimate ""on the fly"" the time and materials required to get the ship repaired and back in service without doing a formal engineering study. In 1965, Mr. Goodrich became President and Chief Executive Officer of the Bath Iron Works and served in that capacity until 1975 when he was named Chairman of the Board until his retirement in 1978. He steered BIW through very turbulent years in the 1960s, fighting in Washington for Navy contracts as a small shipyard against big southern competitors. He led the team that began the successful modernization program that has stood BIW well to this day. The building of the landmark red and white Crane ""11""in Bath symbolized BIW's transformation that restored its current competitive presence in national Navy shipbuilding supremacy. In 1981, President Reagan, recognizing Mr. Goodrich's maritime and ship building expertise, chose him to become Under Secretary of the Navy to rebuild a 600 ship Navy. On his retirement as Under Secretary in 1987, he received the Department of Defense Distinguished Civilian Medal and the Department of Navy Distinguished Civilian Medal. In 1973, Bowdoin College awarded Mr. Goodrich an honorary LLD and in 1995, the University of Michigan awarded him the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Alumni Society Merit Award. In his personal life Jim Goodrich was an avid skier and sailor with an endless competitive spirit, who thrilled to sail the Maine Coast with his children and grandchildren. He was passionate even to the end in a quest for knowledge and education. His core values embraced a spiritual faith and an immense patriotic love of his country, always appreciative of the opportunities it provided him. He had a genuine interest in the lives of those he met, curious to know their own goals and aspirations and always asked about their families. He was a common man who lived a most uncommon life. Mr. Goodrich is survived by his wife of 72 years, the former Helen Virginia Poe of Tacoma, Washington. They have three children: James P. Goodrich and Marilyn Peterson of St Helens, Oregon, John F. Goodrich M.D. and his wife, Corey, of Cumberland, Maine and Nancy McGraw and her husband, Terry of Darien, Connecticut; eight grandchildren and 8 great grandsons. The family invites you to join them to celebrate the life of James F. Goodrich on Friday, Aug. 10, from 4 to 6 p.m., at the Portland Country Club, 11 Foreside Rd., Falmouth Foreside. Mr. Goodrich was a former member of several national organizations, including the Department of Defense Industry Advisory Council, the Maritime Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences, the U.S. Naval Society of Naval Institute, the Propeller Club of the U.S., the Navy League of the U.S., the American Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and is a Fellow and former Vice President and Director of the Shipbuilders Council of America, where he was awarded the Vice Admiral Jerry Land Medal in 1974. Mr. Goodrich previously served as a Trustee of the Maine Medical Center, Director of the Foundation for Blood Research, Director of Maine Children's Cancer Program and Director of the Maine Maritime Museum. He was a member of the Portland Country Club, Portland Yacht Club, Metropolitan Club (Washington, D.C.), the Army-Navy, and Chevy Chase Club, (Washington, D.C.). He was a member of the National Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C. In lieu of flowers, donations can be directed to: The Barbara Bush Children's Hospital of Maine Medical Center Development Office 22 Bramhall Street Portland, Maine 04102 www.bbch.org/DonationsFundraisingEvents ( 207) 662-2669 Boy Scouts Pine Tree Council (# 218) 131 Johnson Road, Portland, ME 04102 http://www.pinetreebsa.org/index.htm (207) 797-5252

James Franklin Goodrich

January 24, 1913 - July 16, 2012

Explore Obituaries &
Upcoming Services