David Coburn Goodwin
October 3, 1930 to March 4, 2021

Per anniversary reports of the class of 1952:
After graduation from Duke Law School and service in the Army with C.I.C., he began practicing law in Miami in December of 1957.  He was a partner in Brigham, Wright, Goodwin & Dence, and then moved to Bolles, Goodwin & Ryskamp, which was eventually merged into Squire, Sanders & Dempsey. Late in his career, he then became of Counsel with Akerman, Senterfitt & Eidson.  For much of his career, most of his time was spent in the courtroom representing Florida East Coast Railway Company and the Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company.  He served as southeastern regional vice-president of the National Association of Railroad Trial Counsel especially enjoying the travel and lecturing.  He served on the board of directors of the Dade County Bar Association and the Florida Defense Lawyers Association which he found enriching and professionally enjoyable. He became a trustee at the Metropolitan Museum and Art Center and was involved in many cultural phases of community service in south Florida.

At his 25th reunion, he wrote: 
A strong, conservative philosophy often puts me in the minority, but has given me great support and strength of conviction over the years in handling defense litigation of several railroads, a power company, and many insurance companies.

The career in law has been stimulating and a far cry from what I thought I would be doing when majoring in biology and spending hours dissecting the mid-brain area of one of Professor Romer’s cats.  I am sure that the background in the physical sciences has been of great help in medical mal-practice and personal injury actions; and the basics learned in other science courses has helped in handling electrical engineering, railroading, and other fields not usually studies in any law school.

The greatest happiness in my life – as well as the preservation of my life – has been my wife, Ginny.  I can, without pause, and with enormous contentment, state that she is the most beautiful woman, the truest wife, the ultimate lover, and the dearest friend to me, my career and my very existence.  Such flowery rhetoric bursts from me spontaneously, and I do not mind sharing with old friends from the Class of ‘52.

I have given up golf, and have taken up week-end tennis; enjoy it immensely, and thank the Prince Racquet people for all their help!

Ginny and I do a great deal of traveling (for recreation, business, and a combination of both) and we have seen a great deal of the States.  We hope to travel throughout Europe within the next two years if the full trial schedule and other commitments permit.

Virginia, who survived him, wrote in ”Thank you for your kind words. He was an amazing man on all levels… I was blessed to share a wonderful life with him.  Virginia”

Larry Leonard who sang with Dave in K50, 51 and 52, shared “I remember Dave as a good guy, good leader, good voice. I think he soloed “Sweet Georgia Brown.”