82, of Madison, passed Saturday morning after a long battle with cancer, surrounded by his loving family.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Frank and Clara Gooch of Florence, nephew, Matthew Aldridge of Huntsville, brother, W.F. Gooch of Houston, Texas, sister, Elizabeth McDonald of Nashville, Tennessee, brother-in-law, JD McDonald of Nashville, Tennessee, sister-in-law, Ann Schrimsher of Madison, and brother-in-law, Fred Aldridge of Huntsville.
He is survived by his wife of 62 years, Mary Louise Gooch; son, Doug Gooch of Madison; Patricia Gooch of Laguna Beach, California; granddaughters, Pavia Gooch of Wheaton, Illinois and Umbria Gooch, Madiran Callaway and husband, Steven, of Fort Riley, Kansas, Aveyron Gooch of Tuscaloosa; great-grandson, Parker Gooch of Madison; sister, Doris Aldridge of Huntsville; sisters-in-law, Betty Smith and husband, Sam, of Huntsville, and Billie Gooch of Houston, Texas; nephews, Wesley Smith of Thomaston, Georgia, Gary McDonald of Birmingham, Jeff McDonald of Gulf Shores, Daniel Aldridge of Huntsville, Andrew Aldridge of Huntsville, and Steve Gooch of Peru, New York; and nieces, Shelia Farmer of Dallas, Texas, Candy Court of Houston, Texas and Shari Woodward of Houston, Texas.
Born outside Florence, Alabama, Charlie and his siblings worked to support the family picking cotton. He and his family moved into town where he went on to graduate from Central High School. By way of an ROTC scholarship he attended the then, Florence State (UNA). At college he met and married his wife Mary. Following graduation the military sent them to Fort Benning, Georgia to attend Military Police training. The military then sent the young family to Michigan State University for graduate studies in Police Administration, where Charlie received the first ever, Master’s Degree in Police Administration.
A young Bobby Kennedy had become Attorney General under brother John and established the International Police Academy in Georgetown. Charlie, with three others, was selected to start the program. After three and a half years, his career took him to Command and General Staff College, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Upon graduation, the family was assigned to Okinawa, where he served as Operations Officer for the Military Police. During their stay, he was dispatched to Korea to assist in the hostage negotiations of the infamous, Pueblo spy ship captured in North Korean waters.
The family returned to the states where he was assigned battalion commander of the 508th Military Police at Fort Riley, Kansas. Three years later he was named Commandant of the US Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. After serving three years, he and his wife chose to retire and return to Madison, Alabama.
Upon returning to Alabama, Charlie tried a brief stint teaching collegiate courses in Criminal Justice but was drawn into his father-in-law’s construction company. Many in Huntsville knew Charlie as the fellow in his famous “blue jump suit”. Having remodeled Paul Hollis’s Men’s Store, Charlie acquired a significant number of suits and sports coats, but the family has elected to bury him as we best remember him, in his blue jump suit.
Visitation will be from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday at Laughlin Service Funeral Home. The funeral service will immediately follow in the chapel with Chaplain Jack Shedd officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Russel Hill Cancer Foundation. (www.russelhill.org)
