Charles Goodliffe

Charlie LaFount Goodliffe passed away on Wednesday, March 14, 2012. Charlie was born on February 13, 1917 to Charles and Anne Goodliffe in Park Valley, Utah. Charlie grew up in Park Valley and Brigham City. He entered the service when World War II broke out and was sent to the Philippines and almost immediately was captured by the Japanese. He spent 3 and half years as a POW as he was captured on May 10, 1942 and liberated in September of 1945. He said many times that he got his strength to endure both from his own faith, and his belief that his parents felt that he was still alive. Charlie was a member of Americas Greatest Generation who quietly went off to war to save the world and then came back and made the United States the greatest nation on the face of the planet. When he was liberated he weighed only 85 pounds and needed to be nursed back to health. Now it just so happens that the nurse was Myla (Mickey) Mitchell and they fell in love and married in 1946. Together they had 3 sons and a lot of good times but Myla died in 1973 from cancer. Charlie worked for the J.C. Penney Company until his retirement and was manager of the store in Brigham City Utah from 1957 until his retirement in 1977. He had many chances to move to bigger stores but stayed in Brigham as he liked the town and the people and thought it a good place to raise his sons. During that time he was President of the Kiwanis club and Chamber of Commerce. His hobbies included golf and after his retirement he spent a good deal of time gardening and helping his kids improve their houses just so, as he would put it, they could move to a different house. Lucky for Charlie he found another love in Eloise Palmer and they married in 1982. Now, I don’t think Charlie and Eloise were high school sweethearts or anything but they did know that the other existed. So that was a start. The love of golf got them together and the love of each other kept them that way. Together they served on a mission in Nauvoo IL in 1990-91 and also served as officiators in the Logan temple for 2 years. Charlie was instrumental in the development of the Veterans Memorial in Tremonton, Utah. Charlie just loved people and they loved him. Charlie is survived by his wife Eloise, his 3 sons Reid (Jane) in Ogden, Rod (Susan) in Brigham City, and Don (Lenora) in Escondido California, 8 grandchildren and 15 great grandchildren. Charlie was loved and known as "Grandpa Charlie" by Eloise's seven children, 30 grandchildren, and 42 great grandchildren. A viewing will be held on Monday March 19, 2012 from 6 to 8pm as well as Tuesday March 20, 2012 from 10:30 to 11:30 am at the Rogers and Taylor Funeral Home at 111 North 100 East, Tremonton, UT. Funeral Services will be held on Tuesday at 12 noon at Tremonton First Ward. Burial will be in the Brigham City Cemetery with full Military Honors.