John Andrew Goth

John Andrew Goth, aged 79, died Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at his home in Austin. Born and raised in Dallas, John was the son of Dr. Andres and Audrea Goth. He moved to Austin for college at UT in 1963 and never left the city he loved. Following completion of his Ph.D. in mathematics at UT, he became a systems analyst at the Texas Highway Department and worked there for almost 40 years.

John is survived by his sister, Patty Mace (Bill) of Windsor, CT, nephew Quentin Mace (Leigh-Ann and baby Maverick) of Manchester, CT, and niece Erica Mace (Dan Saint-Pierre) of Brooklyn, NY.

If you knew John Goth you were lucky.

John was a loyal friend and a fine lunch companion. He would remember your birthday and your mama's birthday too. He loved a good story and would listen eagerly to yours. He was passionately interested in many things, including baseball, The New Yorker, chess, and music of all kinds. He had no use for politics, the Internet, or dogs.

There was never a better pen pal. John's handwritten letters were marked by his distinctive style of printing and enthusiasm for a range of topics -- a book he had just read, a Round Rock Express game he had just seen, or a recent visit from a friend. He started writing his Christmas letters each October and the seventy to eighty people who got one knew it was tailored to them. Always printed and often enclosed in his favorite Edward Gorey cards, he would generally sign off with "Vaya con queso".

Young children were often mystified, sometimes terrified, by John's wild hair and beard. He loved the reaction of one little girl who told him straight out, "I never saw a boy like you before." Another toddler summed it up with "Ho, ho, ho" while a third child brought his startled mother to attention when he said, "Mommy, there's God."

John was uncanny in knowing how to help others have better lives. Maybe you were able to save for your first house or become a U.S. citizen because of John. Maybe he helped you solve that challenging coding problem at work. Or maybe your children and grandchildren passed their tough math classes thanks to John's patient tutoring. Maybe you had a safe place to live when a relationship went bad or there wasn't money for the landlord. You could count on John to help.

John would have preferred life in the 19th century. He never had a driver's license, a television, a credit card, or a smartphone. He lived life on his terms with the love and support of the many friends who helped make that possible. There never was a boy like him before. He will be deeply missed.