Priscilla Goodger

Priscilla Goodger of Sun City West AZ passed away on November 4, 2022, from cardiac arrest.  Priscilla was born on September 26, 1937, in Janesville, Wisconsin, and was the daughter of Emmett and Coriene (Haugen) Arnold.  She is survived by her childhood sweetheart and husband of 64 years, John “Jack” Goodger, children Steve (Cindy Bixby) of Bend OR and Karin (Scott Mellino) of Lakewood OH, grandchildren Mike and Cara (Chad Swanson), great grandchild Amelia, brother Richard Arnold of Afton WI, and numerous cousins and friends. 

She graduated in 1954 from Milton Union High School at age 16 as Valedictorian and four years later received a BBA in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was a member of the honoraria's Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma and the social sorority Chi Omega.

Priscilla was very active in 4-H from ages 10-16.

          Few people who knew this Junior League girl who loved to dress up in ball gowns and go dancing can imagine her in one of her 4-H projects—Dairy.  In doing so, she had to not only take care of the animals but teach them to be led--Starting as a ten-year-old, the animals didn’t like to be trained so stepped on her feet and led her on merry chases through her mother’s garden.

          As a fifteen-year-old, she received Grand Championship on both her Style Revue dress and her dairy cow.

Following graduation from college, she was an income tax auditor at the Wisconsin Department of Taxation for five years.

In both Milwaukee and Cleveland, she was very active in The Junior League and Chi Omega alumnae.  She was instrumental in founding 501(c)(3) endowed scholarship funds for both the Milwaukee and the Cleveland East Chi Omega Alumnae chapters.  Her volunteer work focused on her administrative and accounting talents.  Her ten years as chairman of the China and Glass department at the gigantic semi-annual White Elephant sale that benefited the Cleveland Botanical Garden used her administrative skills and provided a new interest in learning about China and glass.

Priscilla’s hobbies were decorating eggs in Faberge style, creating dried flower pictures, and collecting miniature oil lamps, for which she would drive hundreds of miles to attend lamp auctions.  Most recently she concentrated her efforts researching family genealogy.

She loved redecorating and remodeling homes, including a cottage at Chautauqua Lake New York for which she designed the 2 additions.  After Jack’s retirement, they moved to Sun City Grand, Arizona where they built their dream home, again using her decorating skills, with much help from Jack.  And, finally most recently she decorated their new home at Grand View Terrace.

Priscilla and Jack were members of Briarwood Country Club where they were able to engage in their love of ballroom dancing.  They also enjoyed playing bridge and Priscilla learned Mahjongg and loved playing it, too.

Complications of a total knee replacement in 2012 left her unable to walk, in constant pain and a semi-invalid.  She continued to love social events, working on the computer, writing memoirs, doing genealogy research, Questers meetings--and always had a ready smile.

She was very organized, but not necessarily a neatnik and an ardent pursuer of getting at the truth of things.

 A Celebration of Life will be held at Shepherd of the Hills United Methodist Church, 13658 W. Meeker Blvd, Sun City West AZ on February 4, 1:30 p. m. in the sanctuary.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations may be made to:

Cleveland East Chi Omega Scholarship Fund, c/o Nancy Toth, 8153 Cloveridge Rd, Chagrin Falls OH 44022
Write a check to LLUCC Proton (put for Marckini Chair on the memo line) and mail to Loma Linda University Health, Office of Philanthropy P.O. Box 2000, Loma Linda, CA 92354
Shepherd of the Hills Methodist Church, 13658 W. Meeker Blvd, SCW AZ 85375

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