Thomas Milton Gooding
Oct. 8, 1936-May 10, 2025
Lodi, California
In Loving Memory of Thomas Milton Gooding
October 8, 1936 – May 10, 2025
Thomas Milton Gooding was born on October 8, 1936, in Fresno, California, to Margaret Gast Gooding and Milton Anthony Gooding. Not long after Tom was born, the family moved to Redwood City, California, where he and his older brother George—who preceded him in death—grew up.
Tom attended Mt. Carmel Elementary School and later graduated from Serra High School in San Mateo. He rode the train daily to and from school, and during his high school years, he lettered in baseball and football. He was proud to share the field with his close friend, Jack Brophy.
Following high school, Tom attended UC Davis, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. After earning his degree, he began working for FMC, a food processing equipment company in San Jose, ultimately specializing in the sale of tomato harvesters.
Later, Tom established his own business, Gooding Associates, through which he consulted and sold food processing equipment. In 1971, he and his family moved to Lodi, California. His work took him throughout California, and occasionally into Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. Tom was a natural salesman who loved his career and dedicated more than 35 years to the industry.
Tom was married to Elizabeth Louise Wells Gooding—whom he affectionately referred to as “his bride”—for 62 years. Together, they raised three sons: Todd Morris Gooding (married to Denise), Paul David Gooding (married to Julie), and Kurt Anthony Gooding (married to Sara). He was a proud grandfather to seven grandchildren: Jacob, Megan, Grant, Nicole, Thomas, Kendall, and Ava. He is also survived by a nephew, Carl Gooding; two nieces, Gigi Gooding and Christine Gooding Cook; a grand-nephew, Max Cook; and two grand-nieces, Anna Gooding and Jaqui Gooding. Tom also cherished his extended family, including cousins Linda and Hugh Pettit (San Rafael), Kathy and Larry Boehm (Roseville), and Patricia Campbell (Fresno).
Family life was central to Tom. He participated in Y-Indian Guides with his sons and enjoyed taking the family on both snow and water skiing adventures. In his later years, he found joy in gardening and maintained a treasured friendship with his neighbor, Andy Anderson. The two visited each other twice a week for many years, a tradition that continued until Andy’s passing in 2024.
Tom was an avid golfer and played regularly for more than four decades. He finally hung up his clubs when he felt he could no longer "smack the ball" the way he wanted. Despite his best efforts, teaching Elizabeth to golf never quite stuck, but they shared many laughs trying.
Throughout his life, Tom nurtured lifelong friendships, particularly with childhood friends from Redwood City, getting together two to three times a year until many had passed. He remained deeply connected to his roots.
Though not always a regular churchgoer, Tom was raised Catholic and maintained a strong personal prayer life. He often shared his conversations with the Lord and found great comfort in his relationship with God.
Tom will be remembered for his warm nature, his sense of humor, and his love of storytelling—often reciting nonsensical childhood poems or, thanks to his Catholic school education, quoting Cicero in Latin. He had a kind and generous spirit and took great pride in caring for his family. In turn, he was deeply loved and respected by them.
After suffering a fall that broke his left femur, Tom would advise: “Slow down and take your time. It’s more important to save yourself than to save time.”
Tom will be remembered for his warm nature, his sense of humor, and his love of storytelling—often reciting nonsensical childhood poems or, thanks to his Catholic school education, quoting Cicero in Latin. He had a kind and generous spirit and took great pride in caring for his family. In turn, they felt sincere affection and love for him.
