Judge was the son of Judge Gardner Foster Goodwyn, Sr., and Lora Williams Goodwyn. He was a member of a pioneer Montgomery, Al. family and was the great great grandson of United States President John Tyler. He was preceded in death by his parents, brother, Col. Marvin Williams Goodwyn, and his son, Gardner Foster Goodwyn,111. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, a daughter, and her husband, and son, and daughter in law, and 1 grandson. After graduating from Bessemer, Al High School, he attended Virginia Military Institute for 2 years. He received his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Alabama, and completed post graduate work at Harvard Law School. At the U of A, he was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon Fraternity. After graduating from law school in 1938, he practiced law in Bessemer until he enlisted in the Army of the U.S. in 1941. He served 4 1/2 years, 2 1/2 years overseas in the north African and Italian Campaigns in an automatic weapons battalion of the anti aircraft artillery. He received 4 Battle stars, Bronze Arrowhead for assault landing at Salerno, and the Presidential Unit Citation. During Allied occupation, after fighting ended, he was appointed Judge of the Allied Government Court over Civilian Population at Massa, Italy, and later to the Appellate Court in Rome. He was honorably discharged in March, 1946 as a Lt. Colonel. He then spent 4 1/2 years as Assistant Attorney General of Alabama in trial and appellate work in various counties throughout the state and before the Alabama Supreme Court. In 1950, he was appointed by Governor Folsom to a circuit judgeship in the Tenth Judicial Circuit, Bessemer Division, Jefferson County, Alabama. He served until he retired in 1981. He was a fair and impartial jurist and a respected politician in his 31 years on the bench. Scouting was his passion for many years. He was an Eagle Scout, and as an adult scout leader, he received the Silver Beaver Award. He also served as chairman of the Bessemer District of Boy Scouts. He had been a member of too many civic and political groups too numerous to mention. He was a member of Bessemer First Christian Church where he served as Elder, Trustee, and Sunday School teacher. He was a true Southern gentleman, who loved his family, and devoted his life to serving God, the State of Alabama, and the United States of America. Graveside services were conducted by Rev. Henry Hobson. Brown Service Bessemer Funeral Home Directing.