I first got to meet Ila Marie at Smithfield Jr. High School. She was very smart and didn't let anything keep her down. I was impressed with her courage, determination, and friendliness. I had many classes with her and thought her work was outstanding. I enjoyed her contributions and presence. I am grateful I had an opportunity to know Ila Marie and to go to school with her. She is missed by me!
What a sweet and gentle soul was Ila Marie Goodey. I don't know how well any of you knew her but I had the privilege and opportunity to push her around in her wheelchair at school from elementary school on and got to know her well. I am sure she would have wished to be whole and able but that was not to be. What she did do with her life, in spite of her severe physical handicaps, was nothing short of amazing. During her time on earth she contracted polio at 3 years of age and was in an iron lung (look it up if you don't know what it is) for a long time. She eventually was able to function outside the device and attend school in a very uncomfortable body brace and wheelchair. She looked very much like her sister and, as such, would have been stunning in her physical beauty had it not been for her disease. She had many surgeries just so she could write but even this small task took great effort. She attended Utah public schools and graduated from the University of Utah with a PhD in Psychology. She spent the next eight years as a staff psychologist at the University and a speechwriter, poet and consultant for the school. Dr. Goodey has received many local and national awards, including; Utah Department of Human Services' creation of an annual "Ila Marie Goodey Award for Meritorious Service", the creation of an Annual University of Utah Ila Marie Goodey Scholarship in Writing, a Resolution of Commendation from Utah Legislature, J.C. Penney's National "Golden Rule Award" for Volunteerism and Community Service, YWCA Leadership Award in Business and Professions, Biographical Institute Personalities of the Americas, Who's Who of Writers and Editors, Who's Who of American Women. She was a published author for her books "Echoes" and "Love for all Seasons". She worked as a counselor at the U of U but could not do it for money because she would lose her Medicaide which provided for all her critical medical expenses. She was also instrumental in getting handicapped parking legal in Utah and other services for the handicapped. She was engaged for 17 years but could not marry because she would lose the critical medical supplies and care which was provided by the state. She campaigned for reform of federal, state, and agency regulations for individuals receiving publicly funded services and practiced and promoted self-determination long before it was adopted as a national movement. She accomplished more in her short 54 years than any able-bodied person that I know. Her accomplishments in the face of such staggering life challenges is a testament to her iron will, persistence and intellect. We should all be very, very proud to call her a fellow alumni of the Sky View class of 1966 for she is undoubtedly our most successful and accomplished classmate, and she did it all from the confines of a wheelchair and a tank of oxygen so she could breath. Ila Marie Goodey died on May 16, 1999 and just missed the change of the century and millennium by a few months. She was buried in the Clarkston cemetery.
Here is one of her published poems:
Exposure
Putting pen to paper opens old wounds
and tears at memories bound in a heart
that's weathered past sensation. Is there room
in my life for such bloodletting? A part
of me kept silent by determined will
for these many years seems to scream in pain
of too much wordlessness, and so my quill
like some crazed animal runs, not to gain
a destination, but somehow in flight
to escape the inescapable: me.
All the self I refuse to claim, I write
into its own embodiment, set free
to suffer on its own this last disdain.
Yet in its poemspun shroud I still remain.
It's fun to hear the great remarks about Ila Marie. It's as if we have brought her memories alive again. One memory I have about Ila Marie is that the boys wanted to help her move her wheel chair around the Smithfield Summit School. When we would have a program in the gym upstairs the boys would fight over who would carry her up the stairs.
I know we are talking about Ila Marie, but I must thank Frank Wood for setting up and maintaining this website. We have seen firsthand how valuable this site is becoming to the Class of 66. Where we can communicate and share feelings about class mates like Ila Marie.
Larry Janes
Ila Marie was a special person. She was always cheerful and nice to be around. We spent many hours chating at USU after high school.
Ed Harris
Yes, Ila Marie was wonderful to be around--I recall her great sense of humor, and how we sometimes caused trouble in classes...
Vicky Covey (Clark)
I first got to meet Ila Marie at Smithfield Jr. High School. She was very smart and didn't let anything keep her down. I was impressed with her courage, determination, and friendliness. I had many classes with her and thought her work was outstanding. I enjoyed her contributions and presence. I am grateful I had an opportunity to know Ila Marie and to go to school with her. She is missed by me!
Aaron Barson
What a sweet and gentle soul was Ila Marie Goodey. I don't know how well any of you knew her but I had the privilege and opportunity to push her around in her wheelchair at school from elementary school on and got to know her well. I am sure she would have wished to be whole and able but that was not to be. What she did do with her life, in spite of her severe physical handicaps, was nothing short of amazing. During her time on earth she contracted polio at 3 years of age and was in an iron lung (look it up if you don't know what it is) for a long time. She eventually was able to function outside the device and attend school in a very uncomfortable body brace and wheelchair. She looked very much like her sister and, as such, would have been stunning in her physical beauty had it not been for her disease. She had many surgeries just so she could write but even this small task took great effort. She attended Utah public schools and graduated from the University of Utah with a PhD in Psychology. She spent the next eight years as a staff psychologist at the University and a speechwriter, poet and consultant for the school. Dr. Goodey has received many local and national awards, including; Utah Department of Human Services' creation of an annual "Ila Marie Goodey Award for Meritorious Service", the creation of an Annual University of Utah Ila Marie Goodey Scholarship in Writing, a Resolution of Commendation from Utah Legislature, J.C. Penney's National "Golden Rule Award" for Volunteerism and Community Service, YWCA Leadership Award in Business and Professions, Biographical Institute Personalities of the Americas, Who's Who of Writers and Editors, Who's Who of American Women. She was a published author for her books "Echoes" and "Love for all Seasons". She worked as a counselor at the U of U but could not do it for money because she would lose her Medicaide which provided for all her critical medical expenses. She was also instrumental in getting handicapped parking legal in Utah and other services for the handicapped. She was engaged for 17 years but could not marry because she would lose the critical medical supplies and care which was provided by the state. She campaigned for reform of federal, state, and agency regulations for individuals receiving publicly funded services and practiced and promoted self-determination long before it was adopted as a national movement. She accomplished more in her short 54 years than any able-bodied person that I know. Her accomplishments in the face of such staggering life challenges is a testament to her iron will, persistence and intellect. We should all be very, very proud to call her a fellow alumni of the Sky View class of 1966 for she is undoubtedly our most successful and accomplished classmate, and she did it all from the confines of a wheelchair and a tank of oxygen so she could breath. Ila Marie Goodey died on May 16, 1999 and just missed the change of the century and millennium by a few months. She was buried in the Clarkston cemetery.
Here is one of her published poems:
Exposure
Putting pen to paper opens old wounds
and tears at memories bound in a heart
that's weathered past sensation. Is there room
in my life for such bloodletting? A part
of me kept silent by determined will
for these many years seems to scream in pain
of too much wordlessness, and so my quill
like some crazed animal runs, not to gain
a destination, but somehow in flight
to escape the inescapable: me.
All the self I refuse to claim, I write
into its own embodiment, set free
to suffer on its own this last disdain.
Yet in its poemspun shroud I still remain.
Ruth Alley (Bradshaw)
Ila Marie was awesome , smart and funny! Thanks Ila Marie! I'm sure she walks with God!
Wayne Carlson
Aaron, thank you for your tribute of Ila Marie.
Mike Budge
It's fun to hear the great remarks about Ila Marie. It's as if we have brought her memories alive again. One memory I have about Ila Marie is that the boys wanted to help her move her wheel chair around the Smithfield Summit School. When we would have a program in the gym upstairs the boys would fight over who would carry her up the stairs.
I know we are talking about Ila Marie, but I must thank Frank Wood for setting up and maintaining this website. We have seen firsthand how valuable this site is becoming to the Class of 66. Where we can communicate and share feelings about class mates like Ila Marie.
Thanks,
Mike Budge