Earl Elsworth Goddard, 91, of Decatur passed away Nov. 19. He was a veteran of the United States Army and proudly served his country as a paratrooper during World War II. Mr. Goddard was of the Southern Baptist faith and cherished his time reading his Bible. He enjoyed meeting new people and talking about horses. Mr. Goddard was a strong, independent man who loved life and his family, especially his wife Mary and his daughters. He was preceded in death by his parents John Sheldon and Rua Mae (Hull) Goddard, his sister Opal and his wife Mary.

Survivors include his daughters and sons-in-law, Denise and Daniel Dunkel of Walnut Creek, Calif., Jan and Ronald Miller of Roseville, Calif., Valerie Kelly and Norman Teinowitz of Stevenson, Wash., and Jeannie and Mike Kaplan of Oxford; grandchildren Andrew Miller, Kelly McSherry and Andrea Bell; and two great-grandchildren.

Funeral services for Mr. Goddard will be held at 2 p.m. Dec. 1 in the chapel of Caldwell & Cowan Funeral Home, 1215 Access Road, with interment following in Lawnwood Memorial Park. The family will receive friends at the funeral home for two hours prior to the service, from noon-2 p.m.