John Charles Goodwin, 79, of Leesburg, FL, passed away on November 27, 2023. John was born on December 17, 1943 in West Mansfield, OH, to his loving parents; Donald Russell and Marie (Flickering) Goodwin.
John was one of fourteen children and graduated high school in 1961. Immediately following, John completed barber school and opened two barber shops while also working in TV repairs as well as real estate.
In 1962, John went into the Air Force where he became a Staff Sergeant Airman First Class. In the Air Force, his proficient skills in electronics led him to working on Air Force One.
After his time in the military, John sold his barber shops and became more active in real estate. At one time he owned 67 apartments and bought and sold several houses. In 1981, the interest rates in the housing market were at a staggering 18% and at this time, he bought 160 acres of farmland on the outskirts of Columbus, OH. On this land, he developed paddocks for horses, walking trails, and racing tracks where he trained several horses and won many races. He called this land the “Quarter Section Ranch”. John was at one time, the tenth largest horse trainer and owner in the country.
In 1997, John relocated in St. Petersburg, FL, where he met his wife, Barbara. Together they bought a home in New Zealand which they visited 3-4 months out of the year. John continued to buy and sell properties and was always in property development. Around May of 2021, he and Barbara relocated to Leesburg. John was not only a driven, active, and intelligent person, but a truly generous and kind hearted man. John was always putting a smile on others’ faces with his witty sense of humor. He will be remembered and missed fondly for being such a strong and positive man.
John is survived by his beloved wife, Barbara, and his siblings; Steve, Art, Jim, Ruth, and Alice. He is preceded in death by his parents, and siblings; Ed, Floyd, Lee, Don, Truman, Russell, Sue, and Sara.
