James E Goudsward

James E. Goudsward (94) of Waldwick, NJ passed away on November 13, 2023 at the Valley Hospital.
Born December 15, 1928 in Paterson, NJ to John and Ella Millington Goudsward. He was raised in
Midland Park, NJ which was at that time primarily a Dutch enclave. He is a graduate of Pompton Lakes
High School. In 1954 he married Marjorie Polen. The couple moved to Waldwick in 1960 and remained
there the rest of their lives.

Following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, he began employment with Standard Oil of NJ
in 1948. He remained with the company throughout its transformation into Esso and later Exxon,
retiring after 45 years in 1993. Jim and Marjie also owned and operated the Broockchester Econowash
laundromat in New Milford, NJ for nearly 20 years.

Jim served in the National Guard attaining the rank of Sergeant First Class. He served as a union delegate
at Esso’s Hackensack facility. He also volunteered in his community as a Little League coach and Cub
Scout Leader.

He was a gifted athlete and played many sports. He particularly stood out at third base. He was an avid
sports fan his entire life but no other team would ever match Mickey Mantle and those 1950’s NY
Yankees teams.

Jim was an active member of the First Presbyterian Church in Ridgewood, NJ. He began attending
services upon his marriage to Marjie and remained with the church for the rest of his life. He served the
congregation in many capacities. He started by teaching Sunday school along with Marjie and would
later spend many years serving on the Board of Trustees.  Jim loved traveling. There were regular family vacations to the mid-west and Lake Michigan. In retirement, he and Marjie went on several lengthy road trips taking them across large swaths of the country. There were also multiple trips to Europe: London, Paris, Rome, Venice, Brussels, and
of course, Amsterdam, in search of his Dutch roots. The two destinations that held a special place in
their hearts were Pentwater, MI and Lancaster County, PA. In his later years he took pleasure in dining
with family at seafood restaurants along the Jersey Shore. No meal was complete without an ice cream
sundae with hot fudge sauce, whipped cream, crushed walnuts, and a cherry.

Jim is predeceased by his wife Marjie, his daughter Diana Collentine, and two granddaughters Kristy andJenny. He is survived by two sons, James B.; Douglas and his wife Denise, two grandsons; Brian and Andrew, and a niece, Nancy McCallister.  Jim will be fondly remembered by all who knew him for his kindness and wry sense of humor. It seems unimaginable that he won’t be joining us for one more cup of coffee.

Visitation November 19, 2023 from 4:00-8:00PM at Vander Plaat Funeral Home, 257 Godwin Ave. Wyckoff, NJ 07481. Funeral service November 20, 2023 at 10:30am at the Funeral Home.  Interment to follow at George Washington Memorial Park, Paramus.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to First Presbyterian Church of Ridgewood 722 E. Ridgewood Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450. 

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