Mary Payne Goodenough

Mary Payne Goodenough 1931-2015 Mary Payne (Furlong) Goodenough died peacefully at home in Newtown, PA, on Saturday, January 31, 2015, at age 83. She was born in Floral Park, NY, on February 4, 1931, the first child of Norman Furlong and Viola Vitzthum. Mary Payne married Donald Goodenough in Pittsburgh, PA, on June 14, 1952, where they were both students at the University of Pittsburgh. Her fondest memories of her childhood in Pittsburgh were weekends and summers spent on the Furlong family farm in nearby Finleyville with her beloved grandparents James W. and Mary (Payne) Furlong. She continued to enjoy nature, gardening, animals and the outdoors throughout her life. When Mary Payne discovered her gift for tennis in her late 30s, she quickly rose to the professional level, and coached at Rider University as well as at local tennis centers including the Princeton Racquet Club and the Hopewell Valley Tennis Center. Tennis was her passion, and provided a rich social life as well. More important than anything else in her life were her roles as wife, mother and grandmother. She provided her children with an idyllic childhood in a family filled with love. Mary Payne gave her grandchildren fond memories of truly magical Christmases and delicious apple pies. Her friends and family would all describe her as an exceptionally strong woman with a quick wit, who would leave everyone in stitches when they least expected it. She was predeceased by her son David Goodenough in 1954, her husband Donald Goodenough in 2003, her son James Goodenough in 2005, her sister Arden Furlong in 2007, and her son Charles Goodenough in 2013. She is survived by a daughter, Christine Roberts; four grandchildren: Caitlin Roberts, Kyle Roberts, Alexandra Goodenough, and August Goodenough; a brother, James W. Furlong; and a sister, Ann F. Cummings. Mary Payne's ashes will be buried at the James Chapel Cemetery in Finleyville, PA, joining her father, paternal grandparents and great-grandparents. Memorial services will be held at the Blackwell Memorial Home in Pennington, NJ, on Saturday, February 7, 2015. A calling hour will begin at 1 p.m. with services beginning at 2 p.m. The family asks that, in lieu of flowers, contributions be made to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in memory of Mary Payne Goodenough.

Service:

2:00 p.m. Saturday, February 7, 2015

Blackwell Memorial Home
21 North Main St
Pennington, NJ



Visitation:

1:00 p.m., Saturday, February 7, 2015

21 N. Main St.
Pennington, NJ