Santa Cruz

Mary Jo Goddard, 84, of Santa Cruz, CA, passed away unexpectedly on Nov. 29, 2024, in Sun City Grand, AZ, after celebrating Thanksgiving with family. Mary Jo was born in Seattle, WA, to Josephine and Nick Forte on Apr. 14, 1940. After graduating from St. Mary’s Catholic High School in 1956, Mary Jo was employed at Boeing where she met Charles “Chuck” W. Goddard, a young engineer from Idaho. They soon married and relocated from the Northwest to Buffalo, NY, before moving to the Bay Area in 1964 and retiring in Santa Cruz in 1999. Chuck was the love of her life and they just celebrated their 62nd Wedding Anniversary on Sunday.

Mary Jo graduated from San Jose State College and earned her degree with honors while also working at Santa Clara University with two young children at home. A devoted “special needs” teacher, fluid in American Sign Language, she maintained relationships with many of her deaf students throughout her life. She was especially “gifted” in the kitchen and delighted family and friends with her exceptional skills and traditional, homemade Italian recipes. She had a green thumb and enjoyed tending her backyard garden, swimming and visiting with neighbors and locals while walking her dog along the harbor and down to the beach.

Mary Jo loved music and taught herself to play the piano as well as the Ukulele. She enjoyed performing with the Chorus of “The Sweet Adeline’s” Int’l Competition and sang with a Barbershop Quartet. She made friends throughout her many years of volunteering at The Arboretum, The Daisy, and countless events at the Kiwanis, Elks and Moose Lodges. She enjoyed reading, knitting, crocheting and excelled at whatever she attempted but most of all made everyone feel loved and important. Mary Jo was fond of traveling and the highlight was her visit to Italy in 2016 for the Canonization of Mother Teresa by Pope Francis at the Vatican.

Preceded in death by her parents, Nick Forte, Josephine and Harry Reynolds, and survived by her husband, Charles Goddard, her sons, James and Robert Goddard, grandchildren, Jessie, Megan, Gabriella, and Colin Goddard, John and Katherine Besançon, great grandchildren, Sebastian, Leonardo and Levin Goddard and cousin, Steven Pavone. A Funeral Mass followed by a Reception and “Celebration of Life” will be celebrated at 11am on Mon., Dec. 16, at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church at 515 Frederick St., Santa Cruz, CA. 831-429-1018