Elizabeth Goodale

Elizabeth Eve Goodale, 50, died while resting comfortably at home surrounded by her family on June 4, 2016. Her passing ended Beth’s long and courageous battle with cancer.



Beth was born April 16, 1966, in Mount Clemens, Michigan, to Floyd and Sharon Schmitt.

She grew up in Washington Township, New Jersey, and then attended Michigan State University where Beth earned dual degrees in Psychology and Recreational Therapy. During her time at MSU, she was also a captain and all-conference honoree while playing field hockey for the Michigan State Spartans.



Beth married John Goodale on August 11, 1990, in Saline, Michigan. They moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where she was employed by the Western Institute of Neuropsychiatry working with children. Toward the end of her time in Salt Lake City, she helped start a private practice in psychiatry and the first of four children was born.



She then moved to Muncie, Indiana, where three of her children were born. In addition to raising kids, Beth served as a Volunteer Assistant Field Hockey Coach for two years with the Ball State University Cardinals. She moved to Eugene, Oregon, in 2002. While in Eugene, Beth was very active in the community. She was a long-time youth soccer coach and started the Mud Dogs soccer club. Beth and the family moved to Carbondale, Illinois, and continued being a dedicated and loving wife and mother. For a brief time, she was employed as a counselor at the Family Counseling Center in Vienna, Illinois, until her illness required her to spend more time in treatment and at home. Beth was selfless and hard-working when it came to her kids and as a volunteer in her communities. She enjoyed the outdoors and was an avid hiker and camper, especially when her children were younger. Beth loved to read, as well. She was also a dedicated runner, completing the Chicago, Las Vegas, and Portland marathons.



Beth is survived by her husband, John; four children, Sarah, Samantha, Mary, and Jack; her parents Floyd and Sharon Schmitt (of Washington Township, New Jersey); her mother-in-law Linda Goodale (Coldwater, Michigan) her three siblings, Joel Schmitt and sister-in-law Tara (Downingtown, Pennsylvania), Tony Schmitt (Havasu City, Arizona), and Lark Hunt and brother-in-law Jacob (Clarksville, Tennessee); and thirteen dear nephews and nieces.



A gathering time to celebrate Beth’s life will take place from 1- 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, at the Meredith Funeral Home in Carbondale, Illinois. Memorials are the preferred form of remembrance and may be made to the Carbondale Community High School Education Foundation for the purpose of funding college scholarships for graduating seniors, and will be accepted at the funeral home. Please feel free to drop in at any time between 1-4 p.m. to visit with the family, friends, and reflect on Beth's life.



To share a story or memory of Beth, visit www.meredithfh.com.