Norman Roy Goodman

N. Roy Goodman, 72, died Dec. 26, 2011, with his wife at his side.

He was born in El Paso, Texas, on May 10, 1939. He came to Alaska with his parents in 1946, Mary Buckner Goodman and Allen Goodman, arriving by ship.

He attended Anchorage High School and graduated in 1957, the same year he married his sweetheart, RoseAnn Branton. They attended Oregon State College together, and he graduated in 1963. During summer breaks, they returned to Alaska, where he worked at various surveying jobs in the Bush.

Roy's career spanned the state, from city manager of Cordova and Kodiak to being a traveling city manager for the state to small communities, helping them manage their responsibilities. From 1971 to 1977, he worked for Alyeska Pipeline Co. as manager of a minority enterprise small business investment company, which provided technical assistance, training and grant assistance to minority contractors.

After pipeline construction ended, Roy worked as a consultant. With Knikatnu Inc., he helped with land selection, sales and leases. One of the leases was for the original feasibility study for the Susitna Hydroelectric Project, which is again proceeding. With Ahtna group, he provided management services to develop that business into tent camp establishment and catering. This catering business was later merged into a joint venture with Grandmetropolitan Ltd., an international catering company. This led to a contract with all of the pump stations for a few years.

Roy managed catering and tent camp services for several clients, working directly for Grandmet, which became Statewide Services and is now ESS Support Services. The company has expanded to international contracts of many varieties. Roy retired in 1999 and did consulting for several years until being disabled by Parkinson's disease.

Surviving are his wife of almost 55 years; son, Brian Goodman; and a brother, Al Goodman.

His parents and two sons, David and Orhan, predeceased him.

A memorial service is at 1 p.m., Jan. 14 at the log church in Palmer. A family scattering of ashes is planned this summer at West Lake.

Memorial contributions may be made to United Protestant Church, 713 S. Denali St., Palmer, AK 99645.