Jane E. Goad, 85, of LaPorte, died Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015, at Brentwood, LaPorte.
She was born Dec. 29, 1929, in South Bend, IN, to Samuel and Valeria (Banes) Gourley.
Jane graduated from LaPorte High School in 1947. She was a former member of the LaPorte Jaycees, Coordinator of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) at Countryside Christian Church, past president of Riley School PTA, Meals on Wheels volunteer and board member, volunteer at First United Methodist Church Soup Kitchen in Michigan City, Sunday school teacher for 50 years, and a member of the LPHS Athletic Booster Club. She was also a Fellow through Rotary International. Jane was the bookstore manager and teachers’ secretary at LaPorte High School for 26 years. When she retired, she was also performing the duties as the bookkeeper for LPHS extracurricular activities. In 1968, she assumed responsibility for the LPHS Pepper Club. As a result of her efforts, the LPHS Pom Pon Girls squad was established. She headed this program for 27 years. Jane also established the LPHS Bat Girl Program in 1970 and ran it for the next 29 years with over 300 girls participating. In 1990, she was honored by the United States Baseball Federation as the Amateur Baseball Woman of the Year for her outstanding contribution. In 1998, she was the first and only woman to be inducted into the Slicer Baseball Hall of Fame to date. Together with her husband, Marvin, she was a member of the Dugout Club of the LaPorte Baseball Association. Jane and Marv received the LPHS Athletic Booster Service Award for their countless hours of voluntary service and dedication to the goal of promoting high school athletics in the LaPorte Community. In 1999, they were recipients of the Indiana Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Distinguished Service Award. In February 2014, Jane and Marv were inducted into the Norman J. Hubner Athletic Hall of Fame. Jane was a former member of First Baptist Church and Countryside Christian Church, and attended First Church of God along with Assembly of God. Jane and Marv served as coordinators of SIA (Seniors In Action) at Countryside Christian Church.
On March 28, 1946, in LaPorte, she married Marvin L. Goad, who preceded her in death on Dec. 3, 2014.
She was also preceded in death by her parents and sister, Phoebe Krege.
Surviving are her beloved daughters, Cynthia A. (Robert) Cutler of LaPorte and Kathleen D. (James) Abbott of Irons, MI; four grandsons, Thaddeus (Laura) Cutler of LaPorte, Layton Cutler of Los Angeles, CA, Andrew Abbott of Chicago and Matthew (Holly) Abbott of Ann Arbor, MI; sister, Jayne Hay of Springfield, MA; and several nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28, at Cutler Funeral Home and Cremation Center, LaPorte, with Pastor Roger Ash and Pastor Jeff Hines officiating. Visitation will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. until the service.
Memorial contributions may be directed to the LPHS Athletic Department, 602 F St., LaPorte, IN 46350; VNA Hospice, 1007 Lincolnway, LaPorte; First Church of God, 2020 E. Lincolnway, LaPorte; or LaPorte Assembly of God Church, 244 E. Boyd Blvd., LaPorte.
Messages of condolence may be posted below on WNLP, as well as at www.cutlerfuneralhome.com.