Tribute to Dona Goodman
Dona Goodman was one of my favorite people that I’ve ever known in this world. We sadly lost her in 2012 but I can say without reservation that everyone who knew Dona thought of her as a special friend.
One of my earliest memories is being at Dona’s house in 1964 when Dona introduced me to the Beatles. It was so amazing that all of the top 5 songs are Beatles songs. Dona was 14 at the time and would have been the right age to be one of the screaming girls at all of the Beatles concerts.
When I came of age in high school and college concert going years, Dona was a box office manager in both New Haven (where I lived in high school) and Boston (where I went to college). There were ample opportunities for me to obtain fantastic concert tickets for me and my friends. So – Dona was essentially a ticket connection – but here’s the thing. With each of these ticket transactions, I got to chat with Dona. She was always so upbeat, you couldn’t help but feel better after talking to Dona.
At the concerts Id frequently see Dona and get introduced to radio personalities, concert promoters, and sometimes the groups themselves. She knew everyone.
As the years went on when I saw Dona at the large family gatherings our family has – I always thought of her as one of my special friends. Turns out, thats the way she made everyone feel. You always looked forward to chatting with Dona and she made you feel excited about things. Dona never married or had children, but she used to say that all the young people she knew were her children. She always had that extra bit of wisdom to help you through.
I put together a collage some time ago before she passed away which is of all the concerts Dona had a hand in. Here’s a link.
Dona – we miss you!
