Don Goins' Obituary
Leesville’s long-time community pharmacist and local business leader, Don Goins, 74, passed away Saturday, August 25, 2012.
Born and raised in Leesville, Mr. Goins was the middle of three sons of Milton and Elsie Goins. He graduated from Leesville High School in 1955 and was proud to be a LHS Wampus Cat. A strong supporter of LHS and active member of the Alumni Association, Mr. Goins particularly loved Wampus Cat football and cheering the Cats to victory. He was known to change from a mild mannered pharmacist into a loud cheerleader prone to vocal outbursts aimed at refs that obviously didn’t know what they were doing!
Don attended LSU at Baton Rouge for two years in pre-pharmacy before transferring to Northeast in Monroe to enroll in Pharmacy school. In 1961, he received his BS Pharmacy degree from Northeast as a member of its third graduating class of pharmacy.
Upon graduation, he returned to his home town and went to work in Phoenix Rexall Drugs, the same drug store where he began working in the newsstand at the age of twelve. He was quick to say that he felt it was a real blessing to have been able to come back to his home town and work doing what he loved which was taking care of people and making them feel better. This past summer he marked his 51st year as a pharmacist.
On August 18, 1962, Don married his best friend, Sarah Ferguson of Anacoco. Together they raised three children and built several businesses. His childhood dream was to own a pharmacy, and with lots of hard work, a good head for business, and the right partner by his side, he was able to achieve that dream.
Mr. Goins felt strongly that a man should give back a portion of that with which he was blessed and he lived that philosophy every day. He was an active leader in the Leesville-Vernon Parish community having served on the Vernon Parish School Board, Chamber of Commerce, Leesville Jaycees, Association of the United States Army, and too many committees and boards to mention. It was his deeply held belief that the most important aspect of service to others lay in remaining anonymous, so in his quiet, unassuming manner he just went about taking care of things because it was the right thing and “that’s what you do”.
The compass that guided Mr. Goins was his deep and faithful relationship with Christ and in all aspects of his life he tried to follow the Golden Rule. He was a member of Leesville First United Methodist Church where he held down the tenor section of the choir, taught a “short-term” Sunday school class (for 30 years) and served as the church treasurer as long as just about anyone can remember.
Don Goins is survived by his wife of 50 years, Sarah, and their three children: daughter Cynthia Wann Jeane and her husband Stephan of Leesville, son Jeffrey Goins and his wife Katherine of Alexandria and daughter Julie and her husband Diego Quesada of Cabo, Mexico. Also mourning his passing are his brothers: Larry Goins and wife Velma of Leesville and James Goins and wife Jean of Shreveport. He is also survived by nine grandchildren who were his pride and joy: Courtney Dodson, Patrick Wann, Jenna Jeane, Sarah, Tucker and Noah Wann, Katie and Otis Goins, and Gia Quesada.
Visitation for Mr. Goins will be held at Labby Memorial Funeral Home Monday, August 27th from 5pm-9pm. Funeral services will be held at First United Methodist Church of Leesville at 10:30am Tuesday, August 28th. Burial will take place in Forest Lawn Cemetery immediately following.
In lieu of flowers, the Goins Family asks that donations be made to the Methodist Children’s Home of Sulphur, Louisiana and First United Methodist Church of Leesville.
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