Harold “Hal” Goans died peacefully at his home in Oak Ridge on Sept. 4.
Mr. Goans was born on May 25, 1936, in Clinton to the late Charles and Lillian Goans.
He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years. He met and married his wife, Rita, in 1958 during his time in the military. After his service ended, he worked for the Air Force as a civilian and traveled to several states with his family until they settled in Oak Ridge.
Mr. Goans worked as an electrician at the Department of Defense Y-12 plant in Oak Ridge for 30 years until his retirement.
Mr. Goans was an active member of St Mary Parish in Oak Ridge for more than 50 years. He served in a variety of roles through the years.
In the community, Mr. Goans held many titles in his life such as coach, referee, umpire, teacher, election worker, and handyman. But his favorite titles were dad, gramps, grandpa, and great-grandpa.
Mr. Goans was always there for his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, whether it was driving his daughters on cold mornings to deliver newspapers, cheering his kids and grandkids at sporting events, helping with school projects and homework, or being the chauffeur to all events. Whatever title was used to describe him, Mr. Goans was the cornerstone of the family and he will be terribly missed.
Mr. Goans was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years, Rita; his parents, Charles and Lillian Goans; his sister, Carolyn Wright; and his brother, Paul (Louie) Goans.
Mr. Goans’ survivors include his daughters, Pamela Goans, Pat Parker (Leon), and Pennie Elkins; grandchildren, Brett Parker (Tommy), Joe Parker (Melanie), Connor Parker, Brittany Matthews, (Kevin), and Riley Burn; great-grandchildren, Grady Matthews, Cormac Matthews, Rory Matthews, and Chloe Parker; and his sisters, Linda Benedict and Bonnie Davis.
A funeral Mass for Mr. Goans was celebrated on Sept. 23 at St. Mary Church, with Father Michael Woods serving as the celebrant.
Donations in Mr. Goans’ memory may be made to Friends of Oak Ridge Animal Shelter, 111 Claymore Lane, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, or any local animal shelter or rescue organization.