Deborah Frances Goodwin

Deborah Frances Goodwin, 73, died peacefully Thursday, March 14 (“Pi Day”), in Greenville, SC with her family at her bedside after battling cancer of her bone marrow/blood for over two decades. As a passionate math teacher, youth group leader, tutor, and friend to all, she influenced many throughout her life and will be dearly missed.

Born on January 12, 1951 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Debbie was the daughter of the late Elizabeth Michalek LaPlante and the late Lawrence Henry LaPlante. As a child her intelligence was apparent early on. She played many sports and was the head cheerleader at Bartlett High School, where she was known for being brilliant at math and tutoring many of her classmates, including her current husband. She was a pioneer for women in science, technology, and math, being one of the first females to attend and graduate from Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI), where she studied math. There she met and then married her husband of over 40 years, the late Stephen H. Goodwin, and they moved to Greenville, SC, where they lived until his death in 2013, raising four children. She remained in Greenville, SC and married Robert “Bob” Kubicki in 2020, where they resided until her death. They enjoyed traveling as well as working at Greenville Drive games and other local events.

Her life will be remembered for many things, including her love of teaching and passion for teaching math. She celebrated “Pi Day” (March 14) every year, and always wished us a “Happy Pi Day,” something we will now always remember with her passing. As a mom she gave selflessly of herself to her family throughout her life, pausing her career to raise her children. Later, her blood cancer would serve as the inspiration for one of her children to change careers and attend medical school to focus on oncology. One of her defining traits throughout her life was that she truly did not care where you came from, what color your skin or hair was, what you wore, or what mistakes you may have made in the past. Rather, she cared about people as humans and connected with many young people throughout her life, often providing them guidance and a path to success and happiness that otherwise would not have existed. The love in her heart knew no bounds, and she shared that love with all she encountered.

She is survived by her husband Robert Paul (Bob) Kubicki of Greenville, SC; her daughter Tracey Goodwin Biggers (husband Branham) and granddaughter Chelsea Elizabeth Biggers of Greenville, SC; her son Andrew Hilton Goodwin (wife Ashley) and grandsons Gabriel Hilton and Judah Michalak Goodwin of New York, NY; her son Matthew Lawrence Goodwin (wife Mandy), grandson Grant Stephen Goodwin, and granddaughter Madison Elizabeth Goodwin of Saint Louis, MO; her son Jonathan Stephen Goodwin (wife Jenna), granddaughter Cheyenne Marie Goodwin, and grandson Callahan Stephen Goodwin of Summerville, SC. She was preceded in death by her husband Stephen Hilton Goodwin, her brother Richard Paul LaPlante, and her parents, Lawrence and Elizabeth LaPlante.

Visitation will be held at Mackey at Century Drive on Tuesday, March 19 from 6 to 8pm. Funeral services will be Wednesday, March 20 at St Paul United Methodist Church, 1107 S. Main St, Greenville, SC 29601 at 11:00 AM followed by a private burial at Graceland East Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made “in memory of Deborah Goodwin” to the Cancer Society of Greenville County (https://nccgreenville.org).