[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E149-E150]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 IN TRIBUTE TO THE DISTINGUISHED CAREER OF SERVICE AND PHILANTHROPY OF 
                         WILFRED GEORGE GOODEN

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. SHEILA JACKSON-LEE

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 18, 2007

  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to 
Wilfred George Gooden, a great citizen and patriot, a philanthropist 
and Good Samaritan. Wilfred Gooden shuffled off the mortal coil and 
slipped the surly bonds of earth on Saturday, January 6, 2007. He was 
one month shy of his 75th birthday. More importantly, he was a son, a 
brother, an uncle, a friend, a neighbor, a servant of God, and a loving 
husband to his darling Sybil for 57 years.
  Madam Speaker, I do not think any of the many people who knew and 
loved Wilfred Gooden thought that when he returned to his native land 
of Jamaica in December 2006, that it would have been his last trip from 
his adopted home in the United States of America? I do not think any of 
them dreamed that those last fleeting words on the phone or in person 
would have been their last contact with him before he took his last 
breath on the Sabbath, January 6, 2007 at the Andrews Memorial 
Hospital, Kingston, Jamaica, with his faithful wife, Sybil, of 57 
years, at his bedside.
  Who would have known that the Lord was going to take Wilfred Gooden's 
hands off the plough and say: ``Your work is done, my faithful 
servant--it's now someone else's turn.''
  Wilfred Gooden was the last of three sons born to Mr. and Mrs. Gooden 
in Westmoreland, Jamaica. His parents and brother, Sam predeceased him. 
Vibert his eldest brother, lives in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother Ethel 
and stepfather Edburn took care of the family after the death of 
Wilfred's father. A very close-knit family, Wilfred and his brother 
telephoned each other and had long chats each day. Even in his last 
days on earth, Wilfred and his brother Vibert were on the phone.
  Brought up in a Christian home, Wilfred was baptized at the 
Rollington Town Seventh-Day Adventist church, and never forgot his 
first love--Jesus. His rich baritone voice could be heard in praises as 
he called his family and all who entered his home to worship morning 
and evening--wherever he was.
  His Christ-like character was seen in his deeds, the way he treated 
everyone with whom he came in contact--it did not matter their race, 
ethnicity, gender, religion, political persuasion, title or status; 
everyone was treated with respect, courtesy and kindness.
  In his youth it was not unusual for Wilfred to bring home, 
unannounced, three or four friends for the weekend who would be warmly 
received by a generous but sometimes frustrated mother.
  In 1944, Wilfred traveled to the United States where he settled in 
New York City. For many years, he pursued and enjoyed a successful 
career in mechanical dentistry. Former clients still praise the quality 
and craftsmanship of his work.
  Always on the lookout for new adventures and challenges, Wilfred 
invested in a brownstone on West 142nd Street, which it needed some 
repairs. With much enthusiasm, he immediately utilized his knowledge of 
plumbing as a result of his liberal arts training which required him to 
learn a trade as a part of degree program and performed the work 
himself, and in the process launched a new career for himself in 
housing rehabilitation.

  To gain more knowledge about his business, Wilfred attended City 
College and earned a Certificate in Building Engineering. In 1961, he 
organized a general contracting company with the basic purpose of 
renovating existing properties. As owner and builder of multiple 
dwellings, Wilfred renovated a group of old tenements into two and 
three bedroom modern, class A apartments. In many areas of New York 
City, Wilfred has revitalized entire neighborhoods, creating homes that 
gave and still give each dweller a sense of renewed hope and dignity. 
As general contractor for Maurel Realty Corporation, he renovated a one 
hundred apartment complex and for Almeric Realty Corporation, he 
renovated a fifty apartment complex. Serving in dual capacity as 
Project Manager and Field Superintendent, he directed every aspect of 
these massive projects.
  Wilfred was appointed by Mayor David Dinkins of the City of New York 
to work with Roger Starr, Administrator of Housing as consultant to the 
City's Housing program in urban areas. He reviewed the proposed 
projects with a vision of minimizing costs and suggested rehabilitation 
of buildings in the city's most needed areas.
  Wilfred George Gooden walked with kings, but never lost the common 
touch. His walls both in Jamaica and New York are filled with 
photographs and citations from both the American and Jamaican 
governments including former President Bill Clinton, former Jamaican 
Prime Ministers Norman Manley, Michael Manley, Alexander Bustamante, 
Edward Seaga and P.J. Patterson, as well as government officials in New 
York and Jamaica, church leaders, industry leaders and the leaders of 
educational institutions.
  Wilfred Gooden was, above all, a community servant. He sat on the 
Board of Directors of: Housing Board in New York; FISH Clinics in 
Jamaica; The American Friends of Jamaica; Concerned Committee for 
Christian Education; and NAJASO.
  Wilfred Gooden was honored as a philanthropist by Message Magazine in 
1996 for his community service and humanitarianism and awarded honorary 
Doctor of Letters degree from Faith and Grant College in Huntsville, 
Alabama.
  Wilfred Gooden wanted others to succeed and helped countless 
Jamaicans relocating to New York to get jobs--many in his own 
construction company. When housing was needed, when food was required, 
when winter

[[Page E150]]

came and clothes and heat were required to keep bodies warm, they and 
others in the community knew whom to call: Wilfred Gooden. His charity 
knew no bounds. In the early years of their marriage, almost every 
Jamaican relocating to New York made the pilgrimage to the home of 
Wilfred Gooden for assistance in gaining a foothold in a new land.
  Wilfred Gooden was committed to his Church--the Ephesus Seventh-Day 
Adventist Church in Manhattan. He served as M.V. Leader, Sabbath School 
teacher, Sabbath School Superintendent and since 1980, as Chairman of 
the Building Committee, where he did so much to see that the physical 
plant of the Church was maintained in a manner befitting God's people.
  Christian Education was his passion. In 1980, he established The 
Concerned Committee for Christian Education to provide funds towards 
Christian schooling for Jamaica's children and organized a concert 
featuring the Cantata Choir from New York, held at the National Arena 
in Jamaica, of which the proceeds were used to refurbish and re-start 
the New Hope Preparatory school at the North Street Seventh-day 
Adventist Church. The school started out with one teacher and two 
students. The school has grown to 197 students, 12 teachers and a staff 
of 5.
  Wilfred Gooden provided scholarships for young people who would 
otherwise not have been able to attend his alma mater, Northern 
Caribbean University, formerly West Indies College.
  Wilfred Gooden personally assisted students from Jamaica, New York, 
Alabama, and Kenya. Each summer for the past 15 years, he has arranged 
employment for many students from various Adventist Colleges, thus 
aiding many in their pursuit of higher Christian education.
  As much as he supported students, it was not only ``classroom 
knowledge'' that Wilfred Gooden wanted to instill. The Concerned 
Committee for Christian Education also sponsored the cost for 26 
children from Jamaica to go to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, who 
would not have otherwise been able to have that fun-filled and exciting 
experience.
  The young ladies and gentlemen of his hometown church--Ephesus in 
Harlem, New York--knew that their tertiary education was assured if 
they were willing to learn etiquette and social graces. All of the 
participants worked hard on the annual programs which his team, headed 
by Ms. Valerie Bennett and Mr. Joseph Merriweather managed. As the 
young ladies and gentlemen prepared for the Cotillion Ball at the 
Waldorf Astoria in New York, they stood tall in full bloom and 
presented themselves under the direction of these nurturers. It is 
important to note that while this program facilitated the personal 
development of these young people, it also funded scholarships for 
their tertiary education.
  Jamaican students pursuing medicine, engineering, dentistry, and 
other disciplines overseas were assured of tuition, housing and 
personal assistance. Wilfred Gooden wanted to ensure that all Jamaican 
youth had a chance to succeed so they could make meaningful 
contributions to society.
  Wilfred Gooden loved his native Jamaica and was always willing to 
support his native land. He thought young people from the country 
should learn Jamaican civic history and government, so with the 
authorization of the Jamaican government, he distributed copies of the 
Jamaican Constitution to every high school student in Jamaica.
  Wilfred Gooden brought notable Americans, including former Mayor 
David Dinkins and New York City Councilwoman Una Clarke, to the campus 
of his alma mater, Northern Caribbean University. He wanted people to 
know the quality of the Jamaican educational system and what his church 
and school were doing for the world.
  The philosophy and creed that Wilfred Gooden lived by was simple:

     To leave some simple mark behind
     To keep his having lived in mind
     To be an honest generous foe
     To play any part even if the honors did not fall on him.

  And like Edgar Guest would say:

     I'd like to think when life is done
     That I had filled a needed post
     That here and there I'd paid my fare
     With more than idle talk and boast;
     That I had taken gifts divine,
     The breath of life and manhood fine,
     And tried to use them now and then
     In service to my fellow men.

  Madam Speaker, the famed writer John Donne declared ``Death comes 
equally to us all and makes us all equal when it comes.'' Donne goes 
on:

     Death, be not proud,
     Though some have called thee
     Mighty and dreadful, for
     Thou art not so,
     For, those whom thou think'st
     Thou dost overthrow
     Die not, poor death, nor yet cans't thou kill me.

  In closing Madam Speaker, let me say that although my heart is heavy 
with sorrow, it is also filled with joy because I was one of the 
thousands of people whose lives has elevated and enriched by my 
association with the remarkable, the unforgettable, the irreplaceable 
Wilfred George Gooden. He was a role model, a hero, a mentor, a friend. 
He was my uncle and I will miss him terribly.