Henry Karl Goetzman

Hank was born in 1934 to Henry Goetzman and Emma Froelich, naturalized citizens who immigrated to the United States from Gaggenau, Germany prior to his birth. Hank was a native of Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, a town on the western bank of the Susquehanna River, across from Wilkes-Barre. He attended public schools, graduating from Forty Fort High School in 1952. He “day-hopped” to Wilkes College, graduating in 1956 with a B.S. in Commerce & Finance. His first job was as a sales trainee at the Burroughs Corporation. He enlisted in the Army in March 1957, attended Army Counterintelligence School in Baltimore, and shortly thereafter was assigned to the Pentagon for 28 months.

After a five-year courtship, Hank married Jane Roche in 1958 with 18 months remaining in his enlistment. In the early years of their 66-year marriage, they rented an apartment in Lyon Village in Arlington, Virginia. They remained in Arlington County for 66 years, where they happily raised their four children.

Hank began working part-time at Merrill Lynch in 1959, and upon discharge from the Army, was offered a full-time position as an Account Executive. He had a successful career at a Merrill Lynch for 41 years, where he was a trusted advisor, manager of the Alexandria office, and a mentor to many.

Hank was an active parishioner of St. Agnes Catholic Church and a member of Washington Golf & Country Club since 1972. He proudly served on the Arlington Board of Zoning Appeals for 10 years, as well as the Finance Council of the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.

Hank was thankful every day for his many blessings, and he reminded his family to do the same. Since 1993, he and Jane spent much of the year at their vacation home in Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island where their family gathered for numerous holidays and created wonderful lifelong memories. He enjoyed a marvelous retirement, traveling the world with Jane and playing bridge and golf with their many friends at WGCC. “We had a great ride!”

Hank is survived by the love of his life, Jane; his four blessed children, Mark (Martha) of Vienna, VA, Marian McLain (Steve) of Frisco, TX, Neil (Emily) of Alexandria, VA, and Ellen Greenwood (Alan) of McLean, VA; 12 grandchildren; and 5 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Katherine Peckham.

There will be a visitation on Friday, December 27 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm at Murphy’s Funeral Home in Arlington, VA. The funeral mass will be on Saturday, Dec. 28 at 11:00am at St. Agnes Catholic Church followed by the burial immediately following at Columbia Gardens, both in Arlington, VA.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Arlington.