Stephen G. Gooch

Stephen Grant Gooch passed away on May 31, 2011 after a long battle with congestive heart failure. His family, friends and doctors will remember him for his unwavering optimism and fortitude in the face of this debilitating illness. Steve was born in Los Angeles, California on December 12, 1940, the oldest son of John Elmer Gooch and Roberta Grant Gooch. He graduated from Notre Dame High School (1958), Stanford University (1963) with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and USC Law School with a Jurist Doctorate degree (1966). In 1964, he married his Stanford sweetheart Lynn Clagstone and together they had his only son, John Paul Gooch. They divorced in 1970 and have remained life-long friends. Following a brief period of private law practice, Steve joined C.F. Braun & Co in Alhambra, California as a contract law attorney in 1970. Later, he worked in the company’s Murray Hill, NJ office in the late seventies and early eighties. He remained with the company through a succession of acquisitions and mergers by Santa Fe International Corporation (SFIC) in 1982 and GlobalSantaFe in 1991. His work allowed him to travel the world and along the way he formed many valued friendships. From 1990 to 1992, he was assigned to the Aberdeen, Scotland office, an assignment he treasured. In 1992, he moved to Dallas, Texas when SFIC relocated there. Over the years, Steve attained a Series 7 license to manage his own investments. He also earned a real estate broker license, which he used to create real estate limited partnerships. He retired in 2002 and returned to the great California weather. In 1985, while working for C.F Braun, he met Beverly Mitchum. Together they have shared their lives as committed partners in a loving relationship for 26 years. Competitive to the core, Steve’s passions were tennis and bridge. His exceptional intelligence allowed him to recount every stroke or card played, recite every college and pro football team’s score for the season and recall the conditions of every business contract he ever negotiated. Always athletic but unaware of his heart condition, he was notorious for roller blading across the Braun campus and later along the White Rock Trail in Dallas. He also participated in several Multiple Sclerosis 150-mile bike rides in the Texas summer heat. The attorney in him always loved to argue. Steve often engaged family and friends in lively debates around the dinner table (another passion) regardless of what side of the argument he had to take. Steve Gooch is survived by his life companion, Bev Mitchum; his son John (Anissa); two granddaughters Hallie and Emersen; brother Tim (Ann); sister-in-law Barbara Gooch; nieces Brenda Laboy (JD) and Allison Gooch; nephews Tim (Dawn) and Ted Gooch and great-nieces Giada, Sienna and Paloma. He was predeceased by his parents John and Roberta Gooch and younger brother Larry Gooch. The entire family recognizes Orville Samchio, his dedicated caregiver for the past two years, as adopted family. The family extends its appreciation to Mark Margono, his night caregiver for almost a year; Drs. Dennis Liu, Rajesh Chawla, Jacob Korula, Ashok Raj, Narendranath Reddy and Milton Smith who never stopped trying and gave us additional precious time with Steve; and the caring staff at Arcadia Methodist Hospital and Country Villa Monte Vista. Services will be held Tuesday, June 7, 2011 at 11 a.m. at Douglass and Zook Chapel of Remembrance, 600 E. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia, CA. 877-477-8148. A private burial will be held June 8 at the San Gabriel Cemetery, San Gabriel, CA. In lieu of flowers, donations in his name can be made to Heifer.org, St Jude Children’s Research Hospital or the American Red Cross. Care entrusted to the Douglass & Zook Chapel of Remembrance (626-358-3244).