James E. Goddard, Jr.

Jim Goddard passed away peacefully surrounded by friends and family on June 11, 2025. Jim was born to Col. James E Goddard Sr and Mildred Goddard (neé Jones) in Knoxville, TN. During World War II, Jim moved with his mother to Louisiana, where she worked in the New Orleans Port of Embarkation while his father served in France and Northern Africa. The family settled in Knoxville after the war, and Jim graduated from West High School. After serving in the Army, Jim worked as a civil engineer in Chattanooga, TN before moving to Orlando, FL where he worked for Howard Needles Tammen and Bergendoff. Jim met his wife of 55 years, Robin Goddard (neé Lee), a native of Maryville, while working in Orlando. Among his favorite memories was the year they spent in Sanibel, FL while he inspected the Sanibel Causeway. After the birth of their daughter, Noel, the family returned to east Tennessee. Jim initially worked with Barge Wagner in Knoxville before establishing Goddard Crane Service. The Ambassador Bridge (Detroit to Windsor, Canada), the Cooper River Bridge (Charleston, SC) and the Gay Street Bridge (Knoxville, TN) were some of the many projects he worked on over the years.

Jim was a steam engine enthusiast. In 1982 he helped move the Shay engine which now sits at the Little River Railroad Museum site in Townsend. He was also President of the Old Smoky Railroad Museum that hosted biannual excursions between Knoxville and Asheville, NC.

After retiring, Jim became an avid volunteer for the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, camping in the backcountry for weeks at a time to maintain sections of the Appalachian Trail. He transitioned to the Park’s woodworking shop in later years where he made the trail signs, supported restoration projects, and carved the intricate Covenant Arrowheads presented to National Park employees upon their retirement. He stopped volunteering following the pandemic, having accumulated over 20,000 hrs of service to the Park. He is a lifetime member of the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club, the Smokies Life Association and a longtime supporter of the Friends of the Smokies.

Jim is survived by his wife Robin, his daughter and son-in-law, Noel and John Prisco, their extended family, Heath and Dana Soehn of Gatlinburg, TN, and the many close friends he made in the National Park over the years. He is now taking care of God’s garden in the sky.

The family would like to express their deepest thanks to Dr. John Ingram and all the staff at DaVita Dialysis Clinic in Maryville for their compassion and care.

The family will have a Celebration of Life service at a later date. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to the Friends of the Smokies, PO Box 1660, Kodak, TN 37764.