James Michael Goetz

1948 - 2015  (66 years)

• Name	James Michael Goetz  [1]
  Birth	24 Nov 1948	Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
  Gender	Male
  Death	24 Aug 2015	Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA
  Person ID	I6944	Branches and Roots
  Last Modified	13 Feb 2026

  
  

  Father	James Wilfred Goetz,   b. 4 Sep 1925, Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio, USA d. 7 Jun 2015, St Marys, Elk, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 89 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Mother	Mary Elizabeth Coady,   b. 11 Jun 1927, Titusville, Crawford, Pennsylvania, USA d. 8 Jun 1988, Erie, Erie, Pennsylvania, USA (Age 60 years)
  Relationship	natural
  Marriage	31 Oct 1946	Titusville, Crawford, Pennsylvania, USA   [1]
  Family ID	F2294	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Margaret Ochrang
  Marriage	Yes, date unknown
  Children	> 1. Lisa Goetz  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural] > 2. Wendy Goetz  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural] > 3. Debbie Goetz  [Father: natural]  [Mother: natural]
  Family ID	F2287	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
  Last Modified	13 Feb 2026

  
  

• Notes

  James M. "Jim" Goetz, age 66, of Erie, passed away peacefully, on Monday, August 24, 2015, at his home, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Erie on November 24, 1948, the son of the late James Wilfred Goetz and Mary Elizabeth Coady Goetz Kirsch Pursell. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during the Vietnam Era. Jim had worked with NOW Kitchens for 15 years as a kitchen remodeler. He was a member of the CYS Club, the American Legion Carl Neff Post 571, and the VFW Post 3390. Jim enjoyed fishing, hunting, golf, and camping at Camper's Hill. He was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 24 years, Marge Ochrang Goetz; three daughters, Lisa Musser Nedreski, Wendy Smart and Debbie Watson (Richard); seven grandchildren, Ashley, Alexa, Michael, Steven, Deryn, Amanda and Nate; and one great-granddaughter, Nevaeh. Three sisters, Linda Nowakowski (Richard), Ronda Nelson (David), Barbara Boochie; several nieces, nephews; and his special buddy, Sniffer, also survive. Friends may call at the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., 2607 Buffalo Rd., on Wednesday from 6 p.m. until the time of the Funeral Service there at 8:30 p.m., conducted by Rev. Raymond Hahn. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Regional Cancer Center, 2500 West 12th Street, Erie, PA 16505, the VA Hospital Oncology and Pulmonary Departments, 138 West 38th Street, Erie, PA 16504, or Great Lakes Hospice, 1700 Peach Street, Suite 244, Erie, PA 16501. To send condolences, visitwww.dusckasfuneralhome.com. Sign the Guestbook at www.GoErie.com/obits Dusckas Funeral Home - East Side 2607 Buffalo Road Erie, PA 16510 (814) 899-7656 Published in the Erie Times-News on Aug. 26, 2015 James M. "Jim" Goetz, age 66, of Erie, passed away peacefully, on Monday, August 24, 2015, at his home, surrounded by his loving family. He was born in Erie on November 24, 1948, the son of the late James Wilfred Goetz and Mary Elizabeth Coady Goetz Kirsch Pursell. He was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, serving during the Vietnam Era. Jim had worked with NOW Kitchens for 15 years as a kitchen remodeler. He was a member of the CYS Club, the American Legion Carl Neff Post 571, and the VFW Post 3390. Jim enjoyed fishing, hunting, golf, and camping at Camper's Hill. He was an avid fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pirates. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 24 years, Marge Ochrang Goetz; three daughters, Lisa Musser Nedreski, Wendy Smart and Debbie Watson (Richard); seven grandchildren, Ashley, Alexa, Michael, Steven, Deryn, Amanda and Nate; and one great-granddaughter, Nevaeh. Three sisters, Linda Nowakowski (Richard), Ronda Nelson (David), Barbara Boochie; several nieces, nephews; and his special buddy, Sniffer, also survive. Friends may call at the Dusckas Funeral Home, Inc., 2607 Buffalo Rd., on Wednesday from 6 p.m. until the time of the Funeral Service there at 8:30 p.m., conducted by Rev. Raymond Hahn. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Regional Cancer Center, 2500 West 12th Street, Erie, PA 16505, the VA Hospital Oncology and Pulmonary Departments, 138 West 38th Street, Erie, PA 16504, or Great Lakes Hospice, 1700 Peach Street, Suite 244, Erie, PA 16501. To send condolences, visitwww.dusckasfuneralhome.com. Sign the Guestbook at www.GoErie.com/obits Dusckas Funeral Home - East Side 2607 Buffalo Road Erie, PA 16510 (814) 899-7656 Published in the Erie Times-News on Aug. 26, 2015

  
  

• Sources

  [S146] Staff, Obituary: Goetz, James Wilfred, (Name: Daily Press, The; Location: St. Marys, Elk, Pennsylvania, United States; Date: 10JUN2015;), Obituary: Goetz, James Wilfred. 10JUN2015. James Wilfred Goetz, 89, died Sunday, June 7, 2015, at the Gallagher Center of St. Mary's Home of Erie - East. He was born in Cleveland, Ohio on September 4, 1925, to Saint Marys, Elk County, Pennsylvania natives Alfred M. and Loretta Lenze Goetz. In 1934, the family moved from Cleveland to Elk County, and took up residence at the Lenze Farm at 230 Paul Street, in Saint Marys. James worked the "Golden Harvest Dairy Farm" until he entered the Navy in 1943. Upon his discharge from the Navy, James resided in Erie, Pennsylvania, working in the insurance business and at General Electric. On October 31, 1946, in St. Walburga's Church in Titusville, Crawford County, Pennsylvania, he married Mary Elizabeth Coady. Two children were born of this union: Linda Lee Goetz (Mrs. Richard F. Nowakowski) and James Michael Goetz (wife Margaret), both of Erie. Ronda Lee Goetz (Mrs. David A. Nelson of Perris, Calif.) was born to James and Catherine "Kay/Katy" Yoder Goetz. After relocating to Riverside County, California, James worked for McDonnell-Douglas. He was a realtor in his retirement. He was predeceased by "Katy" on June 2, 2005. James remained in Sun City, California until February 2010, when he moved to Erie to live with his daughter and son-in-law. Since January 2013, he was a resident of St. Mary's Home of Erie, where the staff dubbed him "The Goodwill Ambassador," due to his calming demeanor. Throughout 2011 and 2012, James enjoyed many trips to Elk County to reconnect with and meet family members. This ancestry journey was profiled in two (Saint Marys, Pennsylvania) Daily Press articles on October 8, 2011 and May 31, 2014. James enjoyed listening to music, playing the harmonica, Sudoku, and jotting inspirational quotes on index cards. In addition to his parents and step-granddaughter, Shelly Boochie, James was preceded in death by his brother, Alfred Joseph "Dick" Goetz on November 2, 2013 and a sister Elaine Helen Goetz, who passed away in Cleveland at the age of 14 months, on February 9, 1932. In addition to his two daughters, Linda and Ronda, his son James, his daughter-in-law, Marge, his two sons-in-law Rich and David, and his brother's family, James is survived by a stepdaughter, Barbara Boochie, of California, four grandsons, Richard J. (Mary) of Dacula, Ga., Timothy (Eileen), Kevin (Kristin) and Matthew (Nicole) Nowakowski, all of Erie, a granddaughter, Deborah Goetz (Mrs. Jeremy Watson) of Clarksville, Tenn., and granddaughters, Lisa Nedreski and Wendy Smart of Erie. He was blessed with many great-grandchildren and two great-great-granddaughters. A Mass of Christian Burial for James Wilfred Goetz will be celebrated in St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Roman Catholic Church, 315 East 9th Street, Erie, on Thursday, June 11, 2015, with the Rev. John M. Fischer officiating. Visitation will be at the Church from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Mass at 11:00 a.m. St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception was chosen as it was the site of the 1924 wedding of James' parents. Arrangements are being handled by The Edward J. Garr Funeral Home, Inc., 459 East 12th Street, Erie, PA 16503. Send condolences to garrdavisfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to the Historical Society of Saint Marys and Benzinger Township, 99 Erie Ave., Saint Marys, PA 15857. Sign the Guestbook at www.GoErie.com/obits Daily Press, The: 10JUN2015 HFA: 04DEC2022