George Richard “Dick” Goetz, 86, of Beaumont, died Monday, July 13, 2009, in Paradise Valley, Arizona.
A native of Beaumont, Dick was born July 21, 1922, to Hedwig Goetz “Hed”, originally from Galveston, Texas, and Francis Joseph Goetz “Frank”, originally from St. Louis, Missouri. Dick had three siblings: William “Billy”, an elder brother and two younger sisters, Wilma and Margaret.
Dick’s dad owned and operated a plumbing business, Beaumont Plumbing, and Dick grew up learning the trade. As a young adult, he shared the business with his dad. He graduated from St. Anthony’s High School in Beaumont and completed his university education at St. Edwards in Austin, Texas.
When World War II began, Dick enlisted in the Army Air Corps and after completing his flight training, was assigned as a navigator on B-24 bombers and stationed in Italy. After the war, Dick was discharged as a First Lieutenant. He would later re-enter the reserves and eventually retire as a Major.
During military training in California, before leaving for Italy, Dick met Betty Kirsch. When he returned from the war, they were married and set up house in Beaumont, in a one bedroom apartment on Easy Street! Over the next seven years, Dick and Betty had six children.
In addition to running his dad’s plumbing business, Dick opened a furniture store, and over the next twenty years, built the store into one of the largest furniture retail stores in the area. He sold the furniture store when he was fifty years old and proceeded to complete his Masters Degree in Business Administration at Lamar University in Beaumont. He then taught at Lamar for the next fifteen plus years. Dick became a popular professor for both the practical experience he brought to the classroom, but also for the humor and dry wit he interjected on a regular basis.
Upon retirement from teaching, Dick and Betty liked to travel in their trailer and would spend time “up at the lake” camping out in style. Dick also enjoyed fixing things around the house and sitting in late afternoon watching the squirrels and smoking his pipe! He was an avid reader and enjoyed a good debate, mostly about politics, government, and current business trends. He loved music and sang for many years in the church choir as a tenor. At home, he and Betty, a soprano, loved to sing duets while their daughters, Mary, Kathy and Dick’s sister, Wilma, played the piano.
His son, Tom; brother, William “Billy”; and sister, Wilma preceded him in death.
Survivors include his wife of sixty-three years, Betty Goetz; daughters, Kathy Ridley and her husband Joe of Houston, Mary Sculley and her husband Pat and Janet Greene and her husband John, all of Scottsdale, Arizona; sons, John Goetz and his wife Janice of Houston, and William “Bill” Goetz and his wife Janet of Canyon Lake, Texas; grandchildren, Steven, Brian, Sean, Jennifer, Bill, Jr., Ryan, Greg, David, Jenny, Amy, Mallory and Stephanie; six, soon to be seven, great-grandchildren; and sister, Margaret of Houston.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated 10:00 a.m. Saturday, July 18, 2009, at St. Anne Catholic Church with Reverend Michael Jamail officiating under the direction of Broussard’s, 2000 McFaddin, Beaumont. Interment will follow at Magnolia Cemetery. A Rosary will be recited at 6:00 p.m. Friday, July 17, 2009, at the mortuary.
For those who would prefer to send a donation in lieu of flowers, donations in the form of a check may be made to Hospice of the Valley, 1510 E. Flower, Phoenix, AZ 85014. If you want to use a credit card, please call 602-530-6992.
