Carol Joan (Steele) Goodman, 90, of Schwenksville, died at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at home. Carol was born on September 3, 1934, in Williamsport Hospital, to Evelyn Eleanor (Fries) Steele and Carl Herbert Steele, founder of Carl H. Steele Typewriters on W. Third St. (Williamsport). At age 9, her mother Evelyn purchased a used upright piano for Carol, who immediately showed unusual musical ability. She eventually took piano lessons and, in her teenage years, organ lessons. Carol played the piano for all her high school assemblies and at age 17 became the full-time organist at The Methodist Church, Montoursville. Throughout her lifetime, Carol served God by playing the organ in many local churches, including St. John’s Evangelical United Brethren Church, Calvary United Methodist Church, Calvary Baptist Church, where she became a member, and Faith United Methodist Church, where she was the full-time organist for 29 years before she retired in 2014 at age 79. At Faith, she also directed the children’s choir and participated in the hand bell choir. When she was not playing the organ, Carol was also a soloist, singing soprano in the church choir. Perhaps Carol’s proudest moment as an organist came on November 1, 1997, when she played the organ at the wedding of Major League Baseball Hall of Fame starting pitcher Mike Mussina (Orioles, Yankees). Carol was widely regarded as the most accomplished organist in central Pennsylvania.
Carol attended Philip Sheridan Elementary School, Andrew G. Curtin Junior High School, and Williamsport Area High School, where she was a contributor to The Cherry and White, the high school literary magazine, and sang soprano in the high school choir. She graduated from Williamsport Area High School in 1952 and attended Lycoming College. There, she met her future husband, George David Goodman, in the school library. Carol graduated from Lycoming College in 1956, majoring in English, and married Dave in 1957 at First Baptist Church in Winchester, VA. Carol was a fifth-grade teacher at Charles Lose Elementary School from 1956 to 1961, when she quit to have her first child. In 1972, she returned to the Williamsport Area School District as a substitute teacher for various schools, especially Curtin Junior High School, until her retirement.
Despite her prodigious musical ability, Carol often said that her greatest accomplishment was being a mother to her three children—Geoffrey David Goodman (Valeda Dent), Atlanta, GA; Mae Lynn Forzato, Collegeville; and Jonathan Mark Goodman (Allyson Schenk), Franklin Square, NY. She was preceded in death by her husband of 33 years, G. David Goodman (1928-1991). She is survived by her three children, five grandchildren, Jamie Lynn Forzato Hannigan (Kevin), Collegeville; Nathaniel Forzato, Collegeville; Ian Goodman, Franklin Square; Emily Goodman, Franklin Square; and Carlyn Dent Goodman, Atlanta, and two great grandchildren, Judson and Evelyn Hannigan, Collegeville.
Carol spent her retirement years power walking, playing the piano, expanding her extensive frog collection, completing crossword puzzles and syllacrostics, following Penn State football, and investing as much time and energy as she could into her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She also enjoyed traveling internationally, taking trips to Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico, and several European countries, including Italy, Switzerland, France, and England. Carol was Vice President of the Residents Association at Greenfield Senior Living in Schwenksville until her death. The thread that ties everything together was her love of Jesus and devotion to Him through her service as a mother and as His musician.
The funeral will take place at Bethel United Methodist Church, 513 Spruce St., Montoursville, on Saturday, June 7, at 11 a.m. An informal gathering of friends and family will take place at the church at 10 a.m. Interment will be in Woolrich Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Meals on Wheels (www.mealsonwheelspa.com).
To leave a condolence for the family, please visit http://www.jamesmaneval.com.
