SLS 20RS-964 ORIGINAL
2020 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 53
BY SENATOR FOIL
CONDOLENCES. Expresses condolences upon the death of James Randall Goodwin.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To express the sincere condolences of the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana upon the
3 death of James Randall Goodwin, businessman and tireless community leader in
4 Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
5 WHEREAS, James Randall Goodwin was born in Trinity, Texas, to Daniel Frank
6 and Ollie Atkinson Goodwin of Kilgore, Texas, on April 4, 1933, and he died on January 16,
7 2020, in his adopted hometown of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and
8 WHEREAS, early in his life Randall Goodwin moved with his family to Baton
9 Rouge and he called Baton Rouge his home for his entire life; and
10 WHEREAS, in 1950, Randall Goodwin graduated from Baton Rouge High School
11 and in 1987, he was inducted into the Baton Rouge High School Hall of Fame; and
12 WHEREAS, Mr. Goodwin moved from Baton Rouge High School to Louisiana State
13 University where he became a member of Kappa Alpha Order, making many lifelong
14 friendships among his fraternity brothers and earning a bachelor's degree in zoology; and
15 WHEREAS, Randall Goodwin married his beloved Margaret and the couple raised
16 three daughters and one son: Lee Ann, Margaret Lynn, Garland, and James Randall "Randy"
17 Jr., and the couple treasured their grandchildren, who brought endless joy and delight to their
18 lives; and
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SLS 20RS-964 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, following college, Randall Goodwin joined forces with his maternal
2 uncle, Jack Atkinson, and established the Goodwin-Gauthier Insurance Agency, and
3 eventually, he founded the Randall Goodwin Insurance Agency, serving as president of both
4 entities; and
5 WHEREAS, seeing community service as an important duty, Mr. Goodwin was
6 active in his community, even during his busy years of building his insurance career,
7 including years of membership in the Rotary Club of Baton Rouge and as a Paul Harris
8 Fellow, an appellation in recognition of having at least one thousand dollars donated in his
9 name to the Rotary Club Foundation; and
10 WHEREAS, Randall Goodwin served on numerous boards and commissions in
11 Baton Rouge, including eighteen years of dedicated service on the East Baton Rouge Parish
12 School Board and the Louisiana School Board Association, serving as president of both
13 organizations; and
14 WHEREAS, Mr. Goodwin served on the BREC Parks and Recreation Commission
15 and was instrumental in the commission's decision to acquire and develop what is known
16 today as Highland Road Park, an expansive area of ballparks, rolling hills, and open areas
17 often used for cross-country races by area youth; and
18 WHEREAS, Randall Goodwin had a broad range of interests which resulted in him
19 becoming a founding member of the Mystic Krewe of Achilles, a board member and
20 president of the Louisiana Arts and Science Center, now known as LASM, and a longtime
21 board member of the Catholic-Presbyterian Apartments located in downtown Baton Rouge;
22 and
23 WHEREAS, in 1959, Randall and Margaret Goodwin moved to Oak Hills
24 subdivision, located between Highland Road and Perkins Road and between Bluebonnet
25 Boulevard and Siegen Lane, where they lived for more than fifty years and became active
26 members in the civic and lake associations; and
27 WHEREAS, a love of sports and athletics led Randall Goodwin to participate in a
28 wide range of sports as both a team member or manager, and while at LSU, he lettered in
29 track and field as a javelin thrower, which qualified him as a member of LSU's L-Club, a
30 membership he treasured for the rest of his life; and
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SLS 20RS-964 ORIGINAL
1 WHEREAS, years after college, Mr. Goodwin was proud to officiate at NCAA Track
2 and Field events, serve on the LSU Athletic Council from 1994 to 1998, coach American
3 Legion summer baseball teams, especially enjoying the years when his son, Randy, played
4 on the teams he coached; and
5 WHEREAS, beyond family and community, Randall Goodwin's lifelong
6 commitment to his faith manifested in his dedicated membership at the First Presbyterian
7 Church of Baton Rouge where he served as Deacon, Elder, Sunday school teacher, and a
8 member of the Roundtable and Crossroads classes; and
9 WHEREAS, having arrived in Baton Rouge as a small child, Randall Goodwin
10 matured and grew with his adopted city as the end of World War II brought a new energy
11 and commitment of business people and professionals who saw their city as full of
12 possibilities, as yet unrealized, but they set to work making those dreams for their city a
13 reality; and
14 WHEREAS, with a commitment to family, faith, and community, Randall Goodwin
15 became an integral part of the movement to make the most of Baton Rouge's two major
16 universities, its local culture and flavor, its unique position as the state capital, its economic
17 drivers of oil and gas and research generated through its universities, and its human potential
18 of artists, artisans, scholars, and entrepreneurs who collaborated to bring a vibrant and
19 modern city on the banks of the Mississippi River into the twenty-first century, and Randall
20 Goodwin's contribution to that transformation was considerable.
21 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
22 does hereby express sincere condolences upon the death of Baton Rouge insurance
23 businessman and tireless community leader, James Randall Goodwin.
24 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
25 children of James Randall Goodwin: Lee Ann, Margaret, Garland, and Randy Jr.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Mary Dozier O'Brien.
DIGEST
SR 53 Original 2020 Regular Session Foil
Expresses condolences upon the death of Baton Rouge businessman and community leader,
James Randall Goodwin.
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