David Edwin Goddard

Thursday, February 16, 2012

David Edwin Goddard, 76, died Monday February 6, 2012 at the Nathan Adelson Hospice in Las Vegas Nevada. Born December 12, 1935 in Whitinsville, Mass to Perley Edwin Goddard and Muriel Sarah (Bradford) Goddard who is a direct descendent of the William Bradford of the Mayflower fame. He married and dedicated his life to Elaine Clare Jeffries June 8, 1957 in Auburn Maine the day before his graduation from Bates College, Lewiston Maine June 9, 1957 with a bachelor’s degree in Economics. He was self employed all but the first year after his college graduation. First as a dairy farmer in North Brookfield Mass with extensive delivery routes until he moved to Milford NH in 1971 and purchased House by the Side of the Road. The House by the Side of the Road was a gift shop that turned towards flowers. In 1978 he moved the business to Route 101 in Wilton where, much like the flowers he sold, it flourished and grew into one of the largest and most successful garden centers in NH. Much like the famous Poem that says “Let me live in a House by the Side of the Road and be a friend to Man”, David was a friend to everyone he came in contact with at his store and he loved to share a laugh with both locals and passers by alike. He loved the folks he came in contact with and entered every day with enthusiasm, zeal, and an infectious smile. He always loved the Desert Southwest and he and his wife of 50 plus years spent their retirement years travelling the back roads and ghost towns throughout Nevada and California. He always loved to “play the ponies” and was even part owner of a race horse in Saratoga New York for a time. He was always one willing to take a chance and would gamble…on anything, and many folks are sure to remember that anything at House by the Side of the Road could be had for double … or nothing just from a flip of a coin. He was also a Man who saw the importance of serving his community and had been a member of the Grange and was a Past Master of Meridian Sun Lodge of Masons in North Brookfield Mass. He is survived by his wife, Elaine of Wilton, NH, his daughter Claire Elaine and her husband Bruce Heck, his son James David of Keene NH, his daughter Abby Lynn Macfarland and her friend Timothy Broderick, and his youngest son William Bradford Goddard and his wife Marilyn, all of Wilton. He also leaves his grandchildren Debbie Philips and her husband Christopher, Steven and Andrea Heck, Brittany, Alaina, and David Macfarland, Bethany Lafleur and her husband Dana, Cassandra and Marissa Goddard and Kayla and Josh Hodgdon. He also had seven great grandchildren. Private services will be held at a future period. In Lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the Open Cupboard Food Pantry of Wilton. P.O. Box 111, Wilton, NH 03086.