Robert Merrill Goodman

Robert Merrill (Bob) Goodman died peacefully in his sleep in Austin, Texas, on the morning of September 3rd, 2021, at age 96, after a series of complications following a broken hip suffered in late July. Bob was a devoted and adored son, husband, father, grandfather, brother, friend and talented artist, who will be sorely missed. He lived a rich, active, full life and left the world as a more beautiful place. Bob was among the greatest of the Greatest Generation.

Bob was born March 10th 1925 in Caldwell, New Jersey, to Pearl Tennessee Loveman (1883 – 1969), a native of Nashville, Tennessee and Emery (Imre) Irne Goodman (1887 – 1937), who was born in Debrecen, eastern Hungary. Emery and his family came to the United States in 1900, eventually attending Columbia University, studying to become a pharmacist. Pearl, known to the family as ‘Honey’, grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. Her family re-located to the New York area after 1900. Pearl had three daughters with her first husband, Louis May, who died in 1920, then marrying Emery I. Goodman in 1923, who took over running the family drug store after May’s death. Bob was born in 1925, named for a cousin, Robert Loveman, poet laureate of Georgia, followed by his brother Jack in 1926. Bob grew up in Verona, New Jersey. Tragedy struck at age 12 -- his father suffered a fatal heart attack while giving a speech at a dinner meeting in Jersey City. This devastating loss pushed Bob to exercise and watch his diet for his entire life. During the Depression, the family fell on hard times, and eventually moved to Atlanta, GA, living downtown near the famous Fox Theatre. Bob attended high school at night, while working for his brother-in-law at Dixie Freight Lines to help support his mother and brother. He enlisted in the Navy in 1944, training for 4 months in Bainbridge, MD, then serving as Quartermaster on LSM and LST ships, transporting soldiers and equipment in the Pacific. His ship was part of the huge flotilla of boats in Tokyo Bay, where the Japanese surrendered, ending World War II on September 2, 1945. A few days later Bob went into Japan at Sendai, equipped with a side arm and cigarettes as good will. Emperor Hirohito had instructed the Japanese people to treat the victorious American soldiers as guests and the peace held. Bob received the Asiatic Pacific Area Campaign Medal, the WW II Victory Medal and the Philippine Liberation Medal.

Bob was de-commissioned from the USN in Bremerton, WA in June, 1946, then returned to Atlanta to reunite with family and continue his education. Seeing the Jim Crow South in new light after sailing the world, Bob moved back North, eventually enrolling at Rutgers University on the GI Bill. In the Spring of 1949, Bob met the love of his life, Sonia (Sonnie) Bjelinki, a beautiful French-speaking brunette, who had recently immigrated to the US from Belgium and was working at a family bakery near Newark, NJ. They met at a dance at the Essex House in Newark, fell in love and married on September 2, 1949, first living in Flushing, NY, then moving to nearby Bayside. After graduating with a degree in history from Rutgers cum laude in 1950, Bob eventually applied for a position at the recently chartered United Nations in New York. He began work there in a clerical role, eventually working in the Fellowships office in the Technical Assistance Program, where he rose to Chief, a position held until his retirement in 1985, after 35 years at the U.N. The purpose of the Fellowships program was to educate students from developing countries -- the U.N. would arrange and fund a program of study, with the understanding that the students would then work in government in their home countries. Bob made many trips (“missions”) to Africa and other places like Bhutan. Bob and his team were recognized by the government of Namibia for their impact in supporting their fledgling democracy. Bob received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his U.N. work at the U.N. in 2019. In 1976, Sonnie and Bob purchased a beautiful, attached Tudor-style home in Laurelton, NY, a racially mixed, vibrant, middle-class neighborhood, where they lived for almost 40 years.

Around 1950, Bob, largely self-taught, began painting, a life-time passion and second full time job. He took classes at NYU and the Art Students’ League. His art was greatly influenced by Corot, Turner, among others, and inspired by the dramatic and changeable beauty of nature. Bob’s art ranged from ink drawings of birds and animals to still lifes; while most of his art was comprised of semi-abstract landscapes, painted with acrylics and watercolors on board, canvas and paper. The majority of his paintings were inspired by the rugged Maine coast, seascapes and lakescapes, coastal mist and sunsets. Bob immersed himself in the New York art and music scene, attending and contributing to art shows and concerts by emerging folk singers, such as Bob Dylan. He was a founding member of the Matrix Gallery, one of the earliest artists’ cooperative galleries in the East Village. In 1959, Sonnie, Bob and their young son Emery visited Mount Desert Island (MDI), Maine for the first time and swam in Echo Lake, near Somesville. After vacationing in Maine off and on for the next 10 years, the family bought a cabin at the north end of Echo Lake. An adjacent building became his art studio. In 1970, Sonnie and Bob began the first of 50 consecutive years of summering at their cabin on Echo Lake, where glorious months, June to October, were spent hiking, boating, relaxing on the dock, visiting with family and friends, sketching and painting. Bob’s art, strongly influenced by Maine’s scenery, was frequently displayed in galleries and art shows in the region. Bob had eight one-man shows, mainly in the New York area and numerous group showings from the 1950’s to the 2000’s. New York Times art critic Stuart Preston noted, “The semi-abstract imagery in Robert Goodman’s watercolors and inks at the Castellane Gallery…the artist takes off on virtuoso flights of draftsmanship and handling of medium that deserves high praise”. As President of the U.N. Art Club for many years, he organized annual art shows to benefit UNICEF. His prize-winning work is in many private collections, and eighteen of his paintings are in the collection of AT&T.

Bob was also an avid handball player, swimmer, sailor, kayaker and astronomer, who loved to travel and experience other cultures, beliefs, people and foods. He enjoyed watching sports of all kinds. Speaking of Bob’s physical prowess, his friend Herb mentioned playing tetherball with him several times and never once getting to hit the ball. Bob swam large lengths of Echo Lake well into his 80’s and hiked into his 90’s. He was a voracious reader of books, magazines and newspapers, and lover of music, favoring classical, jazz and folk music. While Bob lived life in a path-setting, unique way, he was happily known as for his part of “Sonnie and Bob”. Their strong love and support for each other demonstrated to many what a marriage could be. They were early champions to the causes of civil rights, social justice and the environment. Their MDI cabin porch, adorned with snacks coming out of Sonnie’s kitchen and perhaps wine, became the first stop on many vacationers’ trips to the area, where all were welcomed with open arms. They supported and encouraged several local artists on MDI. Bob had a terrific sense of humor, loved to tell a good story, and zealously tasted new food, especially if it had a lot of garlic. He loved children and was a devoted “Bobabob” to his own grandchildren, who also lovingly referred to him as “Zen Master”, and often a surrogate grandfather to the children of friends. He passed on to his son and grandchildren his adventurous spirit, laughter at a good joke, love of science, rational thought and physical activity in the natural world. Sonnie’s adult life was filled with medical challenges and appointments and Bob was always there, never letting her down. Bob was kind, funny, strong but gentle, calm but sensitive. He was realistic but optimistic and saw the good in people. He was known for wearing wide-brimmed Tilley hats in the summer sun.

Bob is preceded in death by his loving wife of over 68 years Sonia Helene Bjelinki Goodman, in December 2017, his parents Emery and Pearl/Honey, and siblings Hortense May Richman, Jolaine May Shickram, Marjorie May Robinson and Jack Cranston Goodman. He is survived by his son, Dr. Emery David Goodman and partner Jill Nancy Stein of Sugar Land, TX, grandson and grand daughter-in-law Jeffrey David Goodman and Lisa Evans Goodman of Houston, TX, grandson Ethan Michael Goodman of Shanghai, China, sister-in-law Olga Leisman, numerous nieces and nephews and a large cadre of loving friends and neighbors. He leaves us with a rich legacy of his paintings, his deep appreciation of the natural world and universe, stories, memories, his love and wisdom. The family would like to thank the staff at Brookdale Northwest Hills in Austin for taking care of Bob in 2021.

A memorial service celebrating Bob’s life will be held next summer on MDI. At which time, Bob’s remains will be buried next to Sonnie at Brookside Cemetery, Somesville, Maine.