Celebrating the life of.....Haywood Napolean Goode, Sr.
Public Visitation (Lie in State): Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 3:00 - 6:00 pm
Friendship Baptist Church
106 Smith Street, Thomasville, NC
Wake Service: Wednesday, Oct. 25, 2017 6:00 pm
Friendship Baptist Church
106 Smith Street, Thomasville, NC
Funeral Service: Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017 6:00 pm
Williams Memorial CME Church
3400 Triangle Lake Road, High Point, NC
Rev. Dr. Haywood Napolean Goode, Sr.
A Time to Be Born
Rev. Dr. Haywood Napolean Goode was born February 9, 1929 in Ponce de Leon, Walton County, Florida. He was born to the late Napolean Allen Goode and Mittie Hogans Goode
A Time to Live
Pastor Goode attended public schools in Walton County, Florida. He began working at the age of eight to support his mother and siblings. He was employed as an indentured servant at the Southern Lumber Company. After completing the eighth grade, he commuted daily to work at the Shipyard in Panama City, FL. In 1946 he became an entrepreneur and obtained ownership of his own pulpwood hauling truck. He employed several family members and friends while hauling for the Southern Craft Paper Company in the Pulp Division. In November of 1949 he relocated his family to Panama City, and he began working in the service department of B.F. Goodrich Company. In 1952 he entered the baking business with Ideal Bakery as an automotive mechanic trainee. Within six month he was promoted which enabled him to learn every phase of the baking business. A few years later he was promoted to the Department Head of Purchasing, Receiving, and Sanitation after Flowers Industry purchased the company. In 1971 he was transferred to Greensboro, NC as Plant Sanitarian and Receiving Superintendent. Again in 1976 another transfer took place to Fountain Inn, SC as Quality Control Engineer. While employed with Flowers Industry he broaden his knowledge base by completing several certification courses at Clemson University in Management, the Science of Baking, Entomology, and Pest Control. He received many accolades during his tenure. After forty years of service (15 of which he commuted from Greensboro to Fountain Inn), he retired from Flowers Baking Company. In 2013, he received an Honorary doctoral degree of divinity from the United Cornerstone School of Divinity.
A Time to Serve
Pastor Goode confessed Christ at an early age and was baptized in 1941 at Anna Chapel A.M.E. Church in Ponce de Leon, FL. There he served as Class Leader and Senior Steward. He later became a member of St. John A.M.E. Church, in Ponce de Leon where he helped build a new church. There he served faithfully as Superintendent of the Sunday School and Stewart.
After relocating to Panama City, he united with Mt. Zion A.M.E Church, where he served as a Stewart. In 1955 he and his family joined the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. He was ordained as a Deacon under Rev. W.M. Sutton in 1956. As a faithful soldier on assignment he served diligently as chairman of the Deacon board, Trustee Board, Building Committee Chair, Sunday School Teacher and Church Treasurer. He believed in doing all that he could to build up the church and assist the Pastor. With the consent of his pastor he began ministering (often accompanied by the choir and parishioners), at various churched within the area and became fondly known as “the Preaching Deacon.”
A man of many talents he performed for several years with a local quartet group. He is also organized the Bay County Seven Shape Note Singers and often taught classes in this unique singing style. He also served as President of the Alabama and Florida Seven Shape Note Singing Convention.
Promising the Lord he’d go where he sent him, his tour of duty in God’s Army continued in Greensboro. There he and his family joined Gethsemane Baptist Church, serving under Rev. William Hall. He served over fifteen years as Chairman of the Deacon Board. He also served as Chair of the Building Committee, Pastoral Search Committee, member of the Male Chorus and as a Ward Leader. Under his leadership there, he lead the acquisition of a new church edifice while the church’s pastoral seat was vacant. After officially accepting his call to preach the gospel, he was licensed in July 1983 an ordained in July 1985. At that time he accepted the revelation that God had great things predestined for his life and he dedicated his life to the Ministry. He served as Associate Pastor at Sharon Baptist Church, Stoneville, NC and Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Ridgeway, VA under the late Rev. Jacob Dillard.
In November 1985, Pastor Goode’s divine assignment steered him to Friendship Baptist Church, Thomasville where he served faithfully for thirty years. Although he served his congregation with great compassion, conviction, and humility, he was not your ordinary preacher. He was a true vessel of honor in which the Lord mandated the awesome task of winning souls and upbuilding the kingdom of God. Thus, he not only served his Friendship Congregation, he also served the community. At any given time, you may have seen him visiting with the sick and bereaved, whether they were his parishioners or not. He was the “Community Pastor.” It was never beneath him to vacuum the sanctuary floor, helping paint a widow’s house, fix a leaky pipe, scrub toilets, if needed, or laugh and play with the youth. During this tenure at Friendship and through his diligence, faithfulness, obedience to God and the vision which God placed in his heart, Pastor Goode lead the Friendship Family to building a new church edifice, building improvements, acquisition of additional church owned properties, a debt free ministry, membership increase, and most importantly, heightened spiritual growth. Pastor Goode was a firm believer that the “life you live will speak for you” and “all you have in this life is your own name.” He served as former Moderator of the Rising Star Missionary Baptist Association. He was a former Chaplin for Thomasville General and High Point Regional Hospitals. He participated in numerous NAACP functions and marched with the local Ministers’ Alliance to obtain the naming of Martin Luther King, Jr, street and the observance of his birthday as a holiday, in the city of Thomasville. He has always opened his church doors as an advocate for several public and community issues.
A Time To Love
On April 15, 1946, Pastor Goode was united in holy matrimony to Henrietta Elizabeth Stonom. Out of this beautiful union six children were born. They provided a long, Christian home to not only six of their children, but grands, great-grands, and many other relatives and that needed help. Their doors were always open and welcoming. As long as you abided by the rules, (be in by 11:00 pm and go to church), you were welcome. He was a true example of what good, faithful, loving, an devoted husband and father should be. He took an active role in rearing children. Not only working two or three jobs at a time to provide food, shelter, and clothing, but partnered with his wife in all the house cleaning, cooking and caring for his children as well as the neighbor’s children when needed. Through their devotion and living a “God fearing” life, Pastor and his wife were blessed with five generations. A total of eight ministers of the Gospel were birthed spanning four generations, to carry his legacy.
A Time to Die
Pastor Goode’s strength shone brightly in spite of the physical hardships he endured over the years. His strong faith in God carried him through every struggle. Even as his life was ending on this side and as he steadfastly awaited a miracle for the healing of his body and “a little more time,” he continued to do the Master’s work by being a blessing to everyone who came into his presence. Although longing for his pulpit at Friendship, his home became his new pulpit. On Friday, October 20, 2017, God’s perfect will was done, for he placed an “Amen” on his life and Pastor entered into eternal rest.
A Time to Mourn
Pastor was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Mother Henrietta Goode, his parents, sisters Cozetta McCloud and Elna Johnson, grandson LaCorya Goode, great-grandson Reginald Burney IV, and great-great grandson, Cory Harris. God’s great man will forever be missed by his children: Elder Carolyn Johnson (Joe) Greensboro, NC; Rev. Haywood Goode, Jr (Brenda) Enterprise, AL; Shirley Harris (John) Bartow, FL; Linda Bryant, Orlando, FL; John Goode (Dementria) Ft. Worth, TX; Carl Goode (Vanessa) Winston- Salem, NC; two special granddaughter whom he reared as his own; devoted caregiver, Mikosha “Connie” Gatson (Darryl) and Pastor Cynthia Jones (Everett), both of Greensboro, brother Theodies Goode (Dorothy), Greensboro, NC; brother -in- law Palestine McCloud, Pensacola, FL; 20 grandchildren; 38 great grandchildren; 13 great-great grandchildren, a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, spiritual sons and daughters, friends, a very special, loving, and devoted caregiver, “his girl” Yvonne Vanskiver (John); a dedicated and loving spiritual son, “his boy” Philamons (Phil) Young; “his Deacon” William Little (Carolyn), and “the greatest church family in the world,” his Friendship family.
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