Northborough – Arthur V. Goyette Jr. Ph.D., June 18, 1941 – May 6, 2015. He was the son of the late Arthur V. and Gertrude (Gendreau) Goyette. His sister, Carolyn Wright, predeceased him.
Arthur is survived by his wife, Susan (Oaks) Goyette; his son, Arthur Goyette III and wife Gina of Long Island City, N.Y.; his brother, Daniel Goyette and his wife Diane of West Springfield; his uncle, Roger Gendreau and his wife Patricia of Boca Raton, Fla.; his nieces, Kim Korovae, Tracy Lynch, and Dena Ludwick; and his nephews, Daniel Goyette, Donald Goyette, David Goyette, Harry Germaine, Jeremiah O’Connor and his wife Ruth, and Thomas O’Connor.
He grew up in Springfield, and in the sixth grade was chosen by Dr. English to participate in a gifted class in junior high. Before graduating from Classical High School, he earned his Eagle Scout status. Years ago, Arthur worked as the head life guard for the city of Springfield swimming pools.
At Westfield State, Arthur graduated with a degree in elementary education and taught sixth grade for two years. In 1966, he went on to UNC-Chapel Hill and earned his master’s and Ph.D. in geography and economics. After teaching geography at UNC and Eastern Carolina University, he moved back to Massachusetts to Framingham State College. During that time, he wrote eight industrial and economic development books for towns, including: Northborough, Westborough, Milford, Medway, Bellingham, Athol, Orange, Oxford, and Gardner. Professor Goyette and his class were recognized by former governors King and Dukakis. The Pride in Performance Award was presented to him by Governor Dukakis in 1987.
After his retirement in 2003, Arthur enjoyed spending time candle pin bowling, and golfing in the Elks league. He was a longtime member of the Worcester Elks and the American Association of Geographers. He also greatly enjoyed watching Paw Sox and Norwich Navigators baseball.
The family would like to thank all the doctors and nursing staff at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester for their excellent care of Arthur. The Goyette family also thanks Dr. Kronlund, Dr. Kahl, Dr. Sommers, Dr. Szabo, and Dr. Kumar, all from Reliant Medical Group, for their care and compassion.
Calling hours will be held Sunday, May 10, from 1-4 p.m., in Hays Funeral Home, 56 Main St., Northborough. Arthur’s funeral will be held Monday, May 11, at 11 a.m., in the funeral home. Burial will follow in Howard Street Cemetery of Northborough.
To share a memory or to leave an online condolence, visit www.haysfuneralhome.com.
