Gertrude Amelia "Sugar" Goodman

Gertrude Amelia “Sugar” Goodman, one of El Paso’s most dedicated goodwill ambassadors, passed away peacefully on January16, 2016. She was born in El Paso, Texas on October 24, 1924, to Karl and Helen (Dolly) Goodman. Sugar grew up in Kern Place on Cincinnati Street. She attended Dudley Elementary and El Paso High, where she established lifelong friendships. She graduated from Mills College in California with a degree in social work. She returned to El Paso after college and dedicated her life to promoting the city she loved. Sugar’s life was a kaleidoscope of varied interests and passions. She devoted her time to numerous boards and organizations she often helped create. Not long after she got her degree in social work, she saw that El Paso needed a chapter of the Texas Social Welfare Association, so she organized one. She was on the first Social Planning Division of the United Way Fund of El Paso and was on budget and planning committees for years. Organizations that served children, the underprivileged, and the city she loved drew her to serve on the boards at the El Paso Guidance Center, the Child Welfare Unit and Texas Department of Human Services, the El Paso Council for Social Action, the Women’s Department of the Chamber of Commerce, the YWCA, The American Cancer Society, Family Service of El Paso, El Paso Council for Social Action, the Rio Grande Food Bank, and the Rio Grande Girl Scouts Council, to name but a few. Sugar was honored by many of the organizations she served. In 1977 she was chosen as the First Lady of El Paso by Beta Sigma Phi and Woman of the Year by The El Paso Women’s Political Caucus. She was the living honoree for the 1987 Hall of Honor, El Paso County Historical Society. Numerous mayors awarded her honors such as the Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service and the City of El Paso Conquistador award. She was proclaimed “Admiral of the El Paso Navy” by the Commissioners Court; given recognition by the Rio Grande Girl Scout Council; and the Award of Merit by the Chamber of Commerce. Sugar was listed in “Who’s Who of American Women” in the South, the Southwest, and in the world between the years 1950 to 2005. An avid art collector, she promoted and befriended numerous El Paso artists such as Manuel Acosta, Tom Lea, and Jose Cisneros. Sugar was vice president of the first board of directors of the El Paso Museum of Art Association and started its Members Guild. She was also active in the El Paso Council on Arts and Humanities and regularly attended the El Paso Symphony, local theatre productions, and the opera. She was also an avid advocate of the El Paso Library and served on its board for many years. Sugar never met a person whose story didn’t matter, thus explaining her ever-expanding circle of friends. She made it a habit to celebrate those friendships in the form of gifts, holiday and birthday dinners, outrageous April Fool’s pranks, and in the sharing of hilarious anecdotes and heated discussions. The Pan American Round Table, her beloved Tuesday book club, Las Comadres, and the El Paso Tennis Club were but a few of the social clubs in which she participated. Sugar’s life was a celebration of all things positive. It consisted of giving back to the community in which she grew and thrived. Her home on Cincinnati Street was her place of rest and rejuvenation, and it was a haven for her beloved dogs. It reminded her of her extensive travel with photographs and mementos displayed throughout. But it was also a place that kept her grounded in what mattered most--where her strong values were formed and lived out throughout her life. Loyalty to family and friends, investment in community, an adventurous approach to new experiences, and an appreciation for her many blessings were the forces that drove Sugar. Sugar was preceded in death by her parents, Karl and Helen Goodman and her brother Karl “Karlito” Goodman. She is survived by numerous cousins in California and in El Paso. Her loved ones acknowledge with gratitude two of her devoted caregivers, Marisela Aleman and Maria Esparza and also Lynn Barnard, who faithfully tended to and oversaw the care Sugar needed throughout her last years. A private Memorial Service was held for Sugar at Restlawn Memorial Park Cemetery on February 9th. A memorial to honor Sugar’s extraordinary life will be held at Coronado Country Club on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 11:00 A.M. All who wish to honor her are invited to attend. Donations can be made to a favorite charity. Services entrusted to Sunset Funeral Home West. Please visit our online register book at www.sunsetfuneralhomes.net.