James Goodman

James Matthew Goodman, Jr., 84, passed away February 19th, 2010. Born April 10, 1925 in Waxahachie, Texas to James Matthew and Lucille Hargus Goodman, Sr. He is survived by his wife, Martha Iris Goodman of Beeville; son, James M. Goodman, III and wife Laurel of San Antonio; daughters, Martha Ileene Dugat, husband Sidney, and Jennifer Goodman of Beeville; grandchildren, Jennifer LeBourveau of Beeville, Kyle and Lamar Wilkerson, of Los Angeles, California and San Antonio along with James Goodman, IV and Parker Goodman of San Antonio. Visitation was held from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, February 21, 2010 at Galloway & Sons Chapel. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. Monday, February 22, 2010 at First Presbyterian Church. Interment was at Glenwood Cemetery. Pall Bearers were his grandsons, Kyle and Lamar Wilkerson, James IV and Parker Goodman along with Bill Nobiling of San Antonio, Bruce Hathaway of San Antonio and James McCollom of Beeville. Honorary Pall Bearers were, Gary Delaune and John Hale of San Antonio, Tom Beasley of Beeville and Blackstone Dilworth of Mathis. Goodman grew up in San Antonio, attending Alamo Heights High School and following graduation, Baylor University where he met his future wife, Martha Iris Gill of Beeville. Jimmy and Martha Iris Gill were married in 1948 at the First Presbyterian Church in Beeville, where they are members. Jimmy was head yell leader during his college years at Baylor and then began a career in broadcasting that would last for over four decades. Jimmy Goodman was one of the best known sports announcers in Texas from the 1950s thru the 1980's acclaimed for his work in both radio and television. Gifted with a clear voice and quick wit, he went from radio play by play for the Beeville Trojans to the television broadcast of the NCAA's first Sun Bowl football game. In between, he would cover some of the era's most notable games, including the Corpus Christi Ray - Miller state finals games of the mid 50's and was behind the microphone as the play by play announcer of San Antonio Lee versus San Antonio Brackenridge. This game is ranked as Texas' greatest high school football game. Goodman, along with legendary Texas announcer, Kern Tips were the play by play voices for the Southwest Conference and Goodman broadcast SWC football and basketball for the Mobil Oil Company for many years. Goodman's television broadcasts began with the first Southwest Conference basketball game ever televised and extended through hundreds of games into the 1980's. He was considered one of the leading authorities on the Southwest Conference. An archivist and collector of SWC memorabilia, he compiled his own history of the SEC, but chose not to publish. Throughout his career, he lived in Beeville. Like John Madden, Jimmy had no fondness for air travel. He preferred to drive to the games, whether it was in Austin or El Paso. He was an energetic ambassador for the town in his extensive travels around the state. He was close friends with Dr. Rhea Williams, long time head of the University Interscholastic League and did the play by play of the Texas boys and girls basketball tournaments for over 15 years and was well acquainted with many of the top sports figures in Texas during the era. As president of the Beeville Quarterback Club, he brought such legendary coaches as Bear Bryant, Dana X. Bible, George Sauer, and Jess Neely to Beeville to speak at the club's annual banquet. A former president of the Beeville Rotary Club he was active in the Chamber of Commerce and an inductee in the Beeville Athletics Hall of Fame as a sports media member. He was involved in many civic endeavors in South Texas and Beeville and was an elder of the First Presbyterian Church. Goodman along with his wife Martha Iris produced thousands of beauty pageants throughout the South Texas region and helped numerous young women through the Miss Texas system.