Woodacre

Michael David Good (1937-2025), beloved son, brother, husband, father, uncle, and grandfather, passed away peacefully at home in Woodacre, on Saturday, May 31, surrounded by family, from complications associated with Alzheimer’s disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. He was 87 years old. He is survived by three children, Dion, Johanna, and Nathan Good; two grandchildren, Kellon and Kiara Good; and two nieces, Sharon Phillips and Dyanna Williams. He was preceded in death by his brother Duane (2018) and his wife Sandra (2023).

Michael was born in Newton, Iowa, to Fred and Helen Good, and grew up in Aurora and North Lake, Illinois. While attending North Park College in Chicago he met and married Sandra Cairns in 1959. His first two children, Dion and Johanna, were born in 1960 and 1961. After graduating with a degree in history and English literature in 1962, he led his young family west to Phoenix, Arizona, where he worked as Activities Director for the YMCA. His third child, Nathan, was born there in 1965.

During their time in Phoenix Michael became fascinated with the antiquarian book business, and soon after Nathan was born the family moved to Oakland, California, closer to where the action was. Michael landed jobs first with Holmes Book Company, and eventually with John Howell Books. In 1969 Michael settled his family in Woodacre, California.

In 1975 Michael, encouraged by his friends in the San Geronimo Valley, started his own mail-order book business, issuing catalogs and supporting his effort by working construction gigs around Marin. In 1979 he suffered a work-related injury which made it impossible for him to continue doing construction, so in 1980 he went all-in on the book business, renting a shop on San Anselmo Avenue where, for the next 25 years, he and Sandra (a bookbinder and restorer) plied their trades together, while also hosting Marin Poetry Center events. He specialized in Western Americana and English Literature but described himself as a "generalist" in both books and life.

Michael was a long-time member of the Northern California chapter of the American Booksellers Association of American (ABAA) and served as its President once. He was a regular member of the “Wednesday Table” bookseller group of San Francisco and Marin. The book business allowed Michael to travel for trade shows throughout the US and Europe. He was profiled twice by the Marin Independent Journal. In 2005 he closed the shop and moved his business online but continued doing shows. He fully retired in 2021, as the demands of the business became too great.

Remembrances of Michael on the ABAA chat board describe him as a sweet, gentle, kind man, who never seemed to age, and who always brought an interesting selection of material. A memorial service for friends will be held at his house in Woodacre in August.