Roxana Goin

Obituary of Roxana Goin

On March 9, 2023, dearly loved long-time Santa Cruz resident Roxi Goin passed away after three years of valiantly battling kidney failure and a worsening heart condition. She was a loving and caring wife, mother, grandmother and friend to many. She was brave and caring throughout and she was able to spend time with her loved ones until she passed. Her impact was immense and she will be missed dearly by all. She is survived by Ron, her loving spouse of 64 years, their two sons Karl (Cindy) and Mark (Bridget), grandchildren Nicole (Martin) and Jack, and great granddaughter Mila. She is also survived by sisters Jane, Lyn, Judy and brother Ralph. Roxi was born in Holt County Nebraska and grew up outside the small town of Page. She was the fourth of seven children (6 girls and 1 boy). Her family owned and lived on a working cattle ranch and one of Roxi’s many jobs was riding the perimeter fence line on horseback to ensure that no cattle escaped and physically mending fences when needed. Her house had neither indoor plumbing nor electricity until Roxi was 15 in1950. She attended a one room schoolhouse on the ranch where her mother was the teacher and then attended Page High School, graduating in 1951 at 16 years old, part of a senior class of 11. Soon after graduating High School, Roxi moved to Omaha where she worked for the Union Pacific Railway. A few years later, she began her college career at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln studying for a B.A. in Fine Arts. She put herself through school by working as a waitress at the Cornhusker Hotel, and living with her sister Harriet in Lincoln. In 1953, while studying in the university’s Love Memorial Library, she met fellow student Ron Goin and fell in love. Roxi graduated with a BFA in 1957 and a year later, Roxi & Ron were married on April 5, 1958. Their frst son Mark was born in 1960 and Karl was born in 1963. Ron’s career as an aerospace engineer began in Denver. After several years in Denver and 7 years in Silicon Valley they moved the family to Santa Cruz, CA in 1972 and stayed ever since, excepting a 5-year adventure, where Ron's work took them to North Yorkshire, England from 1992-1997. Roxi absolutely loved living in England, where they lived in both Knaresborough and Harrogate. They opened and shared their home with countless visitors and made lifelong friends while living there. Roxi and Ron returned to Santa Cruz in 1997. In 1998 they celebrated the marriage of son Mark to Bridget and Karl’s marriage to Cynthia in 1999. Roxi was the proud grandma to Nicole and Jack, and great-grandma to Nicole and Martin’s daughter Mila. In the years after returning from England, Roxi became actively involved in two organizations working to promote global cooperation and cultural understanding: the Santa Cruz Sister City Committee (SCSCC) and the American Women for International Understanding (AWIU). And, around the same time they began hosting a French high school teacher who brought students to Santa Cruz every summer and formed a lifelong friendship with Patrick Vignone. She loved cooking, drawing, painting, photography, travel and developed a passion for ceramics later in life. She was also an accomplished seamstress, sewing her own wedding dress (which she finished on the ride to the church) and the dresses she wore to both sons’ weddings. She loved meeting new people, discovering new cultures, and taking on new challenges. Roxi was a lifelong learner and constantly worked to further her education. These endeavors included studying Japanese, Masters coursework in fine art, and special education. Wherever she went, she focused on promoting artistic and cultural awareness and understanding while she created deep friendships. Art, education and serving others remained supremely important throughout Roxi’s life. She volunteered her time and expertise for many causes and organizations and was an active member of the University Baptist Church. She regularly donated to organizations and charities ranging from cultural enhancement and music, to helping those in need. She also personally delivered support and supplies to both Uganda and Ukraine. Through her involvement with SCSCC, Roxi developed a strong kinship with the people of Shingu, Japan, a coastal city in Wakayama prefecture where she crafted even more valuable friendships eventually becoming the first non-Japanese citizen to receive the “Citizen’s Award” from the City of Shingu in 2003. Roxi ultimately visited Shingu 19times even taking a delegation of Americans to visit Hiroshima. While her tireless efforts with Sister Cities and AWIU led to numerous awards, she always focused on the service, not herself. Her adventurous spirit covered so many areas. She loved to travel (6 continents, and26+ countries), because “fast is fun” she learned to fly small airplanes (and soloed), she even bungee jumped (on a dare) while in England. Her life was filled with love, family, friends, serving others and adventure. Roxi was an amazing wife, mother, grandmother and friend. She served as a stellar example of courage and love despite any circumstance she faced. She will be missed and remembered daily, loved always and her presence will be forever felt. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made in Roxi’s name to: On behalf of Roxana “Roxi” Goin, Walnut Avenue Family & Women’s Center 303 Walnut Avenue Santa Cruz, CA 95060 (831) 426-3062 wafwc.org

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Friday
24
March

Visitation

2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Friday, March 24, 2023
Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, Santa Cruz, CA
1050 Cayuga Street Santa
Cruz, California, United States
(831) 423-5721
Friday
24
March

Vigil

6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Friday, March 24, 2023
Benito & Azzaro Pacific Gardens Chapel, Santa Cruz, CA
1050 Cayuga Street Santa
Cruz, California, United States
(831) 423-5721
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