Lindbergh Goodwin, Korean War veteran and excavation entrepreneur, has died at 92

Lindbergh Goodwin, 92, of Philadelphia, longtime owner of Goodwin Tunneling Inc. and 45-year Army veteran, died Thursday, Oct. 13, of lung cancer at his home.

Mr. Goodwin founded Goodwin Tunneling in 1973 as an underground excavation and construction company, and worked on highways and elsewhere with developers, contractors, and other excavators until he retired in 2010. The company specialized in building tunnels, and, using his military skills and construction experience, he was demanding of his employees and exacting in his standards.

“He did not tolerate mediocrity and strove for perfection, especially in the tunnel, where danger was imminent at every turn,” his family said in a tribute.

Mr. Goodwin learned construction from his brother-in-law as a young man, succeeded through perseverance and continuing education, and made it a point to hire young Black men from his Cobbs Creek neighborhood. He showed them how to succeed, too, became a mentor to some, and “was a leader who doled out tough love as needed,” his family said.

As a longtime command sergeant major in the Army Reserve, he was a liaison between his unit commander and the troops until he retired in 1992. He earned a dozen medals, including the Purple Heart and Bronze Star, for his active service during the Korean War in the 1950s and told many tales to the family of his time as a combat soldier.

He shared the hardships he endured, described the men with whom he fought, and even showed the injuries he suffered. Later, he did weekend drills as a reservist at Fort Dix and delighted his children with presents when he returned from weeklong drills twice a year.

“We used to sit out front and wait for his car,” said his daughter Tammy Pipken. His family said: “He served with pride, dignity, and integrity.”

In an online tribute, a fellow veteran attributed his own decades of military success to the advice he received from Mr. Goodwin. “I will always reflect on the words of encouragement that were spoken to me in April 1979,” he said. “I honored Mr. Goodwin by applying what he spoke into my life from that day to my present time today.”

One of 12 children, Mr. Goodwin was born Feb. 11, 1930, in Blair, S.C. He moved to Baltimore with an aunt when he was a teenager, joined the Army after high school, and fought overseas from 1950 to 1953. “People said he was unique as a child,” his daughter said. “He always knew what he wanted.”

He made it back to Blair after the war, reunited with childhood friend Essie Thompson, and they married in 1955. He followed his wife’s family to Philadelphia in 1958, went to night school, became an expert in excavation and construction, and made Goodwin Tunneling a local success story.

He and his wife had daughters Linda, Margie, Tammy, and June, and sons Morris and Kenny. They lived in West Philadelphia, shared hoagies and hamburgers, and danced a lot on Friday nights to Motown tunes and Louis Jordan’s saxophone.

“If you ever wanted to see how in love they were, you simply had to see them dance together,” his family said in a tribute. His wife and son Kenny died earlier.

Mr. Goodwin attended Gethsemane Baptist Church in Blair when he was young and later joined Metropolitan Baptist Church in Philadelphia. Ever curious and eager to debate the issues of the day, he “read extensively to research and find the answer to life’s most profound questions,” his family said.

“He constantly educated himself,” his daughter said.

He was a snazzy dresser, a member of Masonic Temple Lodge No. 22, and president of the Philadelphia chapter of the biannual Goodwin-Goodman family reunion committee. He told the best stories, stayed in good shape, and liked horses and cowboy hats.

His children called him Deddy, and his grandchildren called him Big Daddy. He was, said his granddaughter Meaghan F. Washington, “a great man whom we all loved.”

In addition to his children and granddaughter, Mr. Goodwin is survived by 18 other grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, two great-great-grandchildren, one sister, and other relatives. Six brothers and four sisters died earlier.

Visitation is 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Metropolitan Baptist Church, 3500 Baring St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19104. A service is to follow.