Obituary of John L. Goetz

John Lawrence Goetz, 67, of Conway, SC and formerly of Binghamton, NY died September 6th, 2020 after a brief illness. He was predeceased by his parents, Donald and Helen Goetz, nephew Brian Hunt and niece Melissa Clark. He is survived by his sisters Donna Hunt and Janyce Clark, brother David (Mary Ellen) Goetz, nieces Katie (Cody) Miller, Danielle Clark, Amy Goetz, nephews David Goetz (Katherine), Ryan (Anna) Clark, and two great-nephews, Jonah and Samson Miller who he recently got to spend time with in SC. He is also survived by his longtime friend Heidi Hartvigsen and her family. John was a 1971 graduate of Binghamton Catholic Central, an honor student, and a three-sport star athlete. He eventually focused solely on baseball. When high school coach, Lou Howell, keenly converted him to be a catcher there was no stopping his prowess on the baseball field. He was a 5-tool player. He accepted a full scholarship to play at Rollins College in Florida where he was named 1st Team All-South. He played in college baseball's elite Cape Cod League for two summers and his childhood dream came true when the Houston Astros selected him in the 2nd round of the 1975 Winter Draft. Aside from his great accomplishments, he was a cherished teammate and a fierce competitor. John was a top national account manager for Staples for many years until his retirement in 2018. Although John didn't have any children, he loved his nieces and nephews as if they were his own. John had many friends from all walks of life. He could converse with the CEO of a company or sit on a park bench and make a lonely person feel wanted. He loved to travel, entertain, cook, and took great pride in his special recipes. He was extremely generous, his wit was unmatched and his sense of humor was legendary. He never missed an opportunity to make you laugh and loved getting out his guitar to sing to anyone that had the 'wherewithal' to put up with him. John's death saddens us all. Please remember all of the good times, it's okay to embellish his stories just like he did! "Ha Mister" … "I'll tell you what!" … "Is that right"! God bless you, Johnny Boy! John's family would like to thank special friends Jerry Gaube and Father Corey Van Kuren for all of their help during this difficult time. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to Athletes 2 Athletes. Please make checks in John's memory payable to "JCABC" 666 Reynolds Road, Johnson City, NY 13790. A Funeral Mass will be offered by his longtime friend, Father Corey VanKuren at St. Mary's Church, Route 11, Kirkwood, Friday at 11:30 a.m. Burial will be in Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City. The family will receive friends at St. Mary's Church, Friday from 10 to 11:30 a.m.