John Erle Goodlad

John Erle Goodlad

October 7, 1929 – September 4, 2011

A rare native son, John was born in Los Angeles, California and lived most of his life in Southern California.  He graduated from Marshall High School, class of 1947 and the University of California, Los Angeles majoring in Advertising Design, and earned a letter shooting on the Varsity Rifle Team.  He served as First Councilor of UCLA’s oldest fraternity, Sigma Pi.

College was interrupted on April Fools’ Day, 1951, when the California Air National Guard was called into active duty during the Korean War.  He earned his MBA at Pepperdine University.

John met the love of his life, Nancy Lou Lanzit, on a blind date - they attended a meeting of the Four Cylinder Car Club.  Nancy owned a MG TF1500 and John drove the first Corvette in 1954. Love bloomed and they married on July 7, 1956.   

At age fifty, John became a Realtor, specializing in Commercial and Industrial Real Estate in Glendale. He belonged to many civic and social organizations including a thirty year membership at the Oakmont Country Club where he golfed often and was thrilled to shoot a “hole in one”!  He served as President of the Glendale Rotary Club, founded the Glendale Sunrise Rotary Club and received an award for thirty years of perfect attendance in Rotary while active in the Newport Beach Sunrise Rotary.   John’s lifelong hobbies include hunting, fishing, antique gun collecting, reading and golf. In 2001, he wrote his autobiography entitled, It’s Been Fun!

John leaves his beautiful and talented wife of 55 years, Nancy, his children Lisa of Corona del Mar, Lynn of Newport Beach, John Jr. of Hermosa Beach and grandchildren, Sean and Zach Johnson, John III and Karina Reiss.  He is also survived by his sister Millie Sokolow of Glendale and his cousin Colonel Harold Goodlad of Vandenburg Village, Lompoc. John’s life will be celebrated at the Newport Center United Methodist Church in Corona del Mar on Saturday, September 17 at 11am. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to Rotary International, Newport Beach Sunrise Club, Hospice or Sigma Pi Fraternity.