Talk:Maurice K. Goddard

Details About Maurice Goddard

I was able to find a few details about Maurice Goddard using Ancestry.com and Rootsweb databases:

Social Security Death Index

• Name MAURICE V GODDARD (SIC)
• Birth 13 Sep 1912
• Death 14 Sep 1995
• Last Residence 17011 (Camp Hill, Cumberland, PA)
• Last Benefit (none specified)
• SSN 007-28-4622
• Issued Maine

1920 Federal Census Albion, KS (Reno County) 5 January 1920

• Goddard, Norman O 46 yrs old; born in MA to a father from MA and a mother from VT; minister with New Jerusalem church
• Goddard, Susan H 44 yrs old; born in MA to a father from NH and a mother from NY
• Goddard, Maurice K 7 yrs old; born in MA to parents from MA

He and his parents were evidently out of the country for the 1930 US federal census and Canada's census records are not made publicly available for that time period.

I was unable to confirm his military enlistment for World War II or anything about his service record using Ancestry.com databases, which often but not always provide such details. The Associated Press obituary may have provided details of his WWII service medals found in a 1993 article dedicated to Goddard in Apprise Magazine. Various state environmental websites mention his US Army lieutenant colonel rank and his service under Ike, but none cite sources.

I hope this is helpful. --Pat (talk) 04:57, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

• Thanks very much - this is very helpful! We will add this to the article. Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 23:58, 26 August 2008 (UTC)
  • Yes, thank you.Dincher (talk) 00:36, 27 August 2008 (UTC)

Death

I just watched a program on PBS which said Maurice Goddard committed suicided at age 83, not killed my injuries from a fire. It seems very odd that there are two such different stories. Is it possible that the obituary was either lacking the finer details or smoothing over the fact that there was a suicide?Mdsheaffer (talk) 03:00, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

• • Thanks - his death from burns is based on this news story. Is it possible the fire was one he set (although burning to death seems like a particularly horrible way to die, to me). Anyway, could you please give the name of the PBS program? Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 03:45, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

    My name is Eve Goddard and Maurice Goddard was my grandpa. Maurice's youngest son–Mark Goddard–is my father.

    I know this conversation is long dead and it's likely no one with ever read this, but yes, Maurice intentionally set the fire that killed him. I'm aware none of this information can be proven, but on September 13, 1995 Maurice called my father. At the end of their conversation, Maurice told my father how proud he was of him. This struck my father as odd as it was incredibly out of character for Maurice to say something like this.

    Following Maurice's death, when my father and my uncle were beginning to clean the house, they found a can of gasoline accelerant in the bedroom where the fire originated. According to my father, they could see the charred outline where Maurice's body fell to the floor. 136.36.112.185 (talk) 19:51, 29 July 2023 (UTC)

I looked at the Philadelphia Inquirer articles on his death and they said it was a suicide. See

1. METROPOLITAN AREA NEWS IN BRIEF The Philadelphia Inquirer, OCTOBER 20, 1995 Friday FINAL EDITION, CITY & REGION; Pg. B02 (coroner ruled it a suicide)
2. A FIGHTER'S LONELY END LEAVES FRIENDS AT A LOSS MAURICE K. GODDARD PASSIONATELY MANAGED PA.'S STATE PARKS. HE DIED SEPT. 14 IN A SUSPICIOUS FIRE. The Philadelphia Inquirer, SEPTEMBER 24, 1995 Sunday FINAL EDITION, CITY & REGION; Pg. B01, Susan Q. Stranahan (says friends at funeral said it was suicide)
3. ENVIRONMENTALIST MAURICE GODDARD DIES, LEAVING LEGACY OF PARKS, DAMS The Philadelphia Inquirer, SEPTEMBER 15, 1995 Friday FINAL EDITION, LOCAL; Pg. A01, Mark Jaffe (says fire was suspicous)

Ruhrfisch _><>°^° 04:09, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

I saw it on this program: http://video.witf.org/video/1640758793/ Right before the 50 minute mark it is mentioned. Mdsheaffer (talk) 05:22, 6 January 2011 (UTC)

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