Elliot M Goodman

A true believer in the town of Natick, MA, both in its future and its history, Elliot Morris Goodman, 92, passed away on November 16, 2022.  He was the beloved husband for 48 years of the late Marion Martin Goodman and the devoted father and stepfather of Wendy (Goodman) Fluke, Donna Goodman, Peter Goodman and his wife Sara, Warren Prim and his wife Sheila, and Bryan Prim and his wife Marjorie.  He was an important part of the lives of his thirteen grandchildren: Melanie, Rochelle, Jared, Michael, Eric, Marissa, Alexandra, Stephanie, Samantha, James, Amber, Kelsey and Peter as well as his six great-grandchildren.  Elliot cooked pizzas and lobsters for his grandchildren while he teased them with his wonderful sense of humor.

A graduate of Suffolk University and Suffolk Law School and a veteran of the Korean War.  Elliot moved to Natick in 1957 to establish a private law practice where, ultimately, most people turned to when they needed a variance, a special permit or approval from the Natick Planning Board or the Natick Zoning Board of Appeals, or both.  Early on, Elliot became active in community affairs.  He was a member of the Natick Kiwanis for over 35 years and a member of the Natick Lodge of Elks. He had served as a Town meeting member, as a member of the board of directors of Shadows and as a member of the advisory board to the Massachusetts Marine Fisheries Council.  He had also served as a member of the Town Hall Use Committee and the Natick Center Design Task force.  He was a fellow and life member of the Massachusetts Bar Foundation and had been a member of the South Middlesex Bar Association, Middlesex Bar Association and Massachusetts Bar Association.  He was admitted to practice before the Massachusetts courts and the federal courts of the First Circuit.  For many years, Elliot served as a member of the Natick Historical Commission and as a member of the Natick Historic Society.  He also served as a Justice of the Peace, and he loved performing weddings in his home and chapels.  If asked, Elliot would be quick to tell you that two of his proudest achievements of the 1980’s was: (1) Representing the developers to completely rezone the Natick Mall on Route 9 and (2) Representing the developers of the Cloverleaf Mall on Speen Street where the Natick Hilton Hotel was prominently erected.

With pride and distinction Elliot served as an elected Trustee of the Morse Institute Library for thirty-three years where his expertise was vital during the reconstruction and renovations of the 1990’s.  Elliot believed that the library “…should be an accessible and technologically flexible facility that met the needs of the Twenty-first Century and has preserved the character of the 1873 Mary Anne Morse building.”

In 1988 Elliot and Marion purchased and renovated the historic Luther Broad property in Natick.  For many years Elliot had collected Natick memorabilia which he proudly displayed in their home.  They wanted their home to reflect their love of Natick and always welcomed family and friends who came for meals and visits.  Elliot had many interests and hobbies which he shared with everyone.  He loved fishing, hunting, golf tying fishing flies, making fishing poles, playing duplicate bridge and traveling by planes, cars and boats to any destination in the world. 

In his retirement years Elliot became an avid enthusiast of raised container gardening, where he took great pride in growing three kinds of tomatoes from seeds, green beans, cucumbers, and squash, which he shared with everyone.

A Funeral Service will be held in the John Everett & Sons Funeral Home, 4 Park St. NATICK COMMON, on Monday, November 21, 2022, at 11:00 am. Interment will follow at Glenwood Cemetery, Natick.

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Alzheimer’s Association at www.alz.org.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Elliot M Goodman, please visit our Tree Store.