Edmond William Goings

Rock Hill - Edmond William Goings, 92, died July 12, 2009. He was born June 17, 1917, to William and Phoebe Goings in Carbondale, Illinois. Edmond was the youngest of three children; brother, Walter; and sister, Edith. Early on in Edmond's life the family moved to Willis, Michigan where he grew up and attended Lincoln High School.

He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics at Michigan State Normal College, which is now Eastern Michigan University. It was there that he met and married Roberta Alice Gundrum. There were married 66 years. She preceded him in death.

Edmond went on to earn two masters degrees from the University of Michigan, one in Math and one in Physics. During the war he taught math to navy personnel. In 1946 he began his career as a professor in the Math department at what in now Eastern Michigan University.

In the summer of 1963 Edmond began a new adventure, and with his family he left for Africa for a teaching job in Somalia - a job to train teachers. This was a joint program through Eastern Michigan and US AID (Agency for International Development.)

After returning from Africa, Edmond helped establish a new computer department, Instructional Computer Services (ICS), at Eastern Michigan and was named its first director. This is where he stayed until his retirement in 1976.

After retirement Ed and Roberta moved to Gladwin, Michigan and later they moved to Sebring, Florida. Edmond renewed an early interest in theater and joined a local troop that put on performances each February.

After Roberta's passing in 2006, Edmond moved to Rock Hill to be close to family. He is survived by his four children, seven grandchildren and one great-granddaughter. There will be a memorial service to celebrate his life in Ann Arbor, Michigan in August. He was loved by all who knew him.

Whitesell Funeral Home is serving the family.