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