May 12, 2017 • Seaside Signal • seasidesignal.com • 3A
LEFT: Seaside Police Sgt. Jason Goodding’s name was recently etched onto the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. CENTER: Seaside Police Chief Dave
Ham spoke about the life and legacy of Sgt. Jason Goodding. RIGHT: Seaside Police Sgt. Jason Goodding was honored at the Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement
Officers Memorial ceremony.
‘OUR GUARDIAN ANGEL’
Goodding
remembered at
fallen officers
memorial
It described how an emotionally
exhausted Goodding would often fall
into bed fully clothed after a long
day at work, only to take a call in the
middle of the night to answer an of-
ficer’s question. He would often con-
fide in Amy when he felt helpless at
a call on a particular day and wasn’t
sure if he made the right decision in
a given situation.
“He believed that his body was
his weapon and his mind his tool
to protect and serve his family in
service and hope,” the letter read.
“There is nothing he wouldn’t give
for you, and he worked himself into
the ground trying to take care of ev-
eryone but himself.”
By Jack Heffernan
EO Media Group
SALEM — A misty-eyed Seaside
Police Chief Dave Ham was in the
middle of thanking Sgt. Jason Good-
ding’s family when he was abruptly
interrupted.
“They’re really helping me out,”
he said. “The strength and resiliency
I see in your family is amazing, and
all the open arms and hugs …”
Suddenly, a puddle of water from
the top of a large tent covering the
audience before Ham splashed to the
ground near the stage.
“Wow. Thanks, Jason,” Ham said.
Memories of Goodding were
heavily present at the Oregon Pub-
lic Safety Academy’s annual Fallen
Law Enforcement Officers’ Memo-
rial ceremony. Hundreds of people
attended the 80-minute ceremony
Tuesday, May 2, in Salem.
Goodding’s name was the 183rd
added to a memorial wall that served
as a backdrop for the ceremony. The
wall recognizes the law enforcement
officers in Oregon who have died on
the job since the 1880s.
Goodding, 39, was shot and killed
in February 2016 on Broadway in
downtown Seaside while taking a
man into custody on a warrant.
Phillip Ferry, 55, shot Goodding
once before Goodding’s partner, Da-
vid Davidson, returned fire and killed
Ferry. Goodding died at Providence
Seaside Hospital later that night.
Goodding is survived by his wife,
Amy, and daughters, Joslyn and
Jayden.
“It’s been difficult driving by the
driveway every day for a year, but I
know I don’t have it half as bad as
those two little girls and the wife and
mom, Amy,” said Clatsop County
Sheriff Tom Bergin, the Gooddings’
next-door neighbor. “It strikes you at
Family letters
COLIN MURPHEY/EO MEDIA GROUP
The Oregon Fallen Law Enforcement Officers Memorial ceremony was held Tuesday in Salem and included family
members, friends and colleagues of slain Seaside Police Sgt. Jason Goodding, who was killed in the line of duty
on Feb. 5, 2016. Goodding’s widow, Amy Goodding, second from the left, attended the ceremony.
the core, it really does. Jason was a
smart man, a young, just a steadfast
individual that was not only a good
neighbor, a good friend, but a great
cop.”
Honoring the service
Bagpipes, drums, flag presenta-
tions with the American and Cana-
dian national anthems, a roll call of
all 183 slain officers and a 21-gun
salute complemented other remarks
made by officers, family and public
officials.
Guided by law enforcement offi-
cers from throughout the state, fam-
ilies of slain officers filed into their
seats to begin the ceremony. Jerry
Gaidos, a former chaplain for Clatsop
County law enforcement who con-
soled local officers after Goodding’s
death, said a prayer. Officer Kenneth
J. Henson II of the Lakewood Po-
lice Department in Washington state
gave a speech that highlighted how
he and his department rallied to help
the families of lost peers.
‘Daily struggle’
Then, it was Ham’s turn.
“It’s been a long 14 months since
Jason’s been gone,” he said. “It’s a
daily struggle to keep from crying
and missing my friend.”
Ham delved in to the department’s
struggles with personnel changes
in the past 14 months, Goodding’s
death being the most dramatic.
“Out of the struggle came the hir-
ing of new faces,” Ham said. “All
of these personnel changes have
brought a new and fresh face to the
department and a level of excitement
that I know Jason would be proud
of. His excitement for the job is re-
flected in the leadership of our de-
partment now and in the faces of our
current staff.”
Amy’s letter
During the speech, Ham read a
letter Amy Goodding wrote to the
Seaside Police Department shortly
after her husband’s death.
The police chief also read letters
the family wrote specifically for the
memorial.
“His loss has created an empti-
ness in our lives that can never be
filled,” one of Amy’s letters read.
“The hopes and dreams of our family
have been shattered, and we are still
trying to put the pieces back togeth-
er. Jason will always be my husband,
and he will never stop being Jayden
and Joslyn’s daddy. But now he will
be our guardian angel. We will make
the best of this life that we are now
going to have to face without him.”
Joslyn and Jayden wrote about
how much they love and miss their
father. Joslyn added she wished she
listened to more of his basketball
coaching advice. Amy Goodding
later helped lay wreaths on stands in
front of the wall.
One moment in Ham’s speech
perhaps illustrated the struggle and
perseverance of Goodding’s family
and community, both last year and
now.
“Thank you to everyone who
continues to support the Goodding
family and the Seaside Police De-
partment as we navigate through this
hard time and we continue to grow to
what has become our future,” Ham
said in a progressively soft voice.
“Excuse me,” he then said, col-
lecting himself.
Rep. Bonamici recognizes longtime Seaside columnist Lovell
Speech hails
her observations
Seaside Signal
Columnist Claire Lovell was
recognized by U.S. Rep. Su-
zanne Bonamici in a speech the
floor of the U.S. House of Rep-
resentatives Friday, April 28.
The recognition for the
longtime Seaside Signal col-
umnist comes after her death
earlier this year at the age of
96. Her column, “Scene and
Heard,” was a regular staple of
the newspaper, first appearing
in January 1990 and continuing
up to the time of her death on
March 15.
“Mr. Speaker, I rise today
to honor the life of Claire
Lovell, an accomplished col-
umnist and devoted resident of
Seaside, Oregon,” Bonamici
said. “North Coast residents
are richer for Claire’s pres-
ence and I join them in cele-
brating her life and her legacy.
For 27 years, Claire’s column
chronicled the happenings
of Seaside with cogent prose
and an observant eye. First
known as ‘Overheard: Notes
from Seaside,’ and later ‘Scene
and Heard,’ her column was
the first thing readers went to
when they eagerly opened their
newspaper. Indeed, some read-
ers bought the newspaper just
for her column. Claire was a
Seaside resident for almost all
of her 96 years and no one was
better qualified to document
the city’s life.
“Whether she was shar-
ing her observation on poli-
tics popular culture, growing
older or the birth of her first
great-grandchild, Claire en-
riched each topic with her sig-
nature verve and keen love of
the written word. In a recent
column Claire wrote, wheth-
er one is 5 years old or 95 as
the case may be, life’s small
pleasures are very important.
For decades, one of Seaside’s
small pleasures was reading
her column. It is my honor to
recognize Claire Lovell’s many
contributions to our communi-
ty and to offer my condolences
to her family and the Seaside
community on the loss of this
remarkable woman. Her wit,
wisdom and well-chosen words
will not be forgotten.”
Lovell was born in Seaside
on Sept. 9, 1920, to Charles and
Myrtle (Sawrey) Ruthrauff. The
youngest of nine children, she
attended Central School and
Seaside Union High School,
graduating as salutatorian with
the Class of 1937, an honor she
shared with close friend Evelyn
(Stewart) Redkey.
Claire is survived by her
children, Robin (Hill) Derrin-
ger (Stan Delgado) of Bremer-
ton, Washington, Gary Hill
(Connie Oksol) of Oakland,
California, Jeffrey Hill (Nan-
cy) and Lauren (Lovell) McMi-
chaels (Rob), both of Eugene,
Oregon; grandchildren, Aimee,
Andra, Julia, David and Elena;
and great-granddaughter, Em-
ery. She was preceded in death
by longtime friend and sweet-
heart, John Raniero.
A memorial service was
held Saturday, May 6, at Sea-
side United Methodist Church.
Dedicated
to Rules and
Sound Finance
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