Who Did You Grow Up With?

Several years before her death Vivian Wright Goodley wrote, "Within four square blocks in the area where Jimmy was raised there were many people that were his childhood and young adult friends that became famous as adults."  Her list included:




John Piendak, M.D. took care of of Vivian when Sharon was born.


Danny Nathans won the Nobel Prize winner in medicine specializing in Imaging.  Jimmy said that he knew when they were in school together that he was going to be great.  He never received anything but A's and was a whiz on every subject.



John Edward Babiarz born June 6, 1915, the son of Stanley and Mary Fere Babiarz. He married June 4, 1939 to Adele F. Barczuk. He was a Democrat who served in the U. S. Army during World War II. He served as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention from Delaware in 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968. He was the Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware from 1961 to 1969. He was of Catholic Polish ancestry.



William T. McLaughlin was born in 1917. He served two terms as Mayor of Wilmington, Delaware. He passed away on May 30, 2008. Current Vice Presidential Candidate, Senator Joe Biden, read a Congressional Record Statement about McLaughlin’s life and contributions to the state of Delaware on June 10, 2008. The public safety building in Wilmington was named after him.



Judge E. Norman Veasey was the Chief Justice of Delaware from 1992 to May of 2004... During his time in the courts the U S Chamber of Commerce ranked Delaware's courts first in the nation for three consecutive years for their fair and reasonable and efficient litigation environment.

Three State Judges



Four teachers; one was Jesse Klosiewicz



An actress



Frank Pyle, Chief of Police in Wilmington



Chief of Police in Rehoboth, DE



Leo “The Point” Marshall was the Head of Democratic Council of Wilmington. At one point he ran for a seat on New Castle County Council in 1966. Time Magazine, in an article on political pranks, reported “Democrat Leo Marshall, seeking a seat on Pennsylvania's New Castle County Council in 1966, was the victim of someone who sent a flatbed truck carrying a black band and black semi-nude go-go girls into a conservative white ethnic neighborhood, noisily urging his election. He lost.”



Charles “Chip” Marshall, Leo’s brother, was born on August 28, 1919. He played pro ball as a catcher for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1941. Pro basketball player Marshall, catcher for St. Louis Cardinals. On June 14, 1941, he collected a putout in his only fielding chance. He did not have a batting appearance and never played a major league game again. Marshall died in his homeland of Wilmington, Delaware at age 87.





John J. "Johnny" Aiello was born August 27, 1917, the son of Frank and Mary Contento Aiello. He served in the U. S. Navy during WWII. He then served as a fire fighter with the City of Wilmington Fire Department and retired after 20 years. His next career was that of plumbing inspector with New Castle County. He retired in 1984. He was a very able athlete and accomplished boxer. He began boxing at the age of 16 and spent nine years as a 118 pound bantamweight amateur fighter. His many awards include the Philadelphia Golden Gloves, the New York Golden Gloves, the Middle Atlantic Flyweight Championship and the Middle Atlantic Bantam Weight Championship. He was also a captain of the Pan American Boxing Team. His record at the end of his amateur career was 300 fights with 295 wins. He turned pro in 1941 and won 11 out of 13 matches. His professional career was interrupted by his service in the Navy. Upon discharge he began coaching. He established a boxing program for service men and also initiated and coached the University of Delaware boxing program from 1984-1985. He was an excellent baseball and basketball player. He loved to golf. He passed away on April 6, 2005.



Joe Kane, Referee NBA



A "cop" killer at 16 years of age



Gloria Warren was born in April 7, 1926. She was an Opera Singer at 16. She went to Hollywood and was prepared to become a rival for Deanna Durbin. She starred in the musical “Always in My Heart” in 1942. After that she was relegated to lesser roles appearing mostly in Westerns or Dramas.



Six lawyers



Sylvester Hosinski, a Catholic Priest. attended Notre Dame with Knute Rockne and became a College Boxing Champion



Jimmy Goodley, a Bowling Champion in Major Leagues and Senior Olympics



Johnny Goodley -- The person of whom Jimmy is most proud was raised in the same home with him. His brother Johnny Goodley fought in World War II. He received the Silver Star, the third highest honor bestowed by the United States Government





I agree with Jimmy.

Jimmy Goodley -- King of Bowling

I edited the story about Jimmy Goodley and his baseball career because it pertained to how he met his wife, Vivian. What was a big part of Jimmy’s life that I left out was his bowling. He is a star bowler.

Jimmy was 16 years old during WW II. He and the men in the picture with him were known as :"The Traveling Bowlers".  They went from area to area traveling by car even when gas was tightly rationed. Their team won the first place trophy.  Jimmy is the second from the right.

Once they were married Vivian kept a scrapbook of Jimmy’s reported achievements in bowling.

The first clipping written by Lem Holmquist, sports writer for Wilmington's (Delaware) Newspaper. On November 8, 1977, Holmquist wrote about the

• "leading bowlers rounding out the men's top ten is Jim Goodley, a new member of the top 10, at 195."

January 8, 1978, Holmquist wrote,

• "Who's the no. 1? bowler in state, then added three men's names who are good bowlers in the state, then added, "Another candidate for "best bowler" would have to be Jim Goodley. Jim Godley is tearing the lanes apart at Prices Lanes, a house that many bowlers stay away from because "it's too hard to hit."

February 21, 1978,

• "New member in the 600 club named Gray Miller--605. Others were listed who bowled 575, 543, 507, and 474. They don't get much ink here. Nice Rolling! One word for "Gentleman Jim" Goodley '704 -- Terrific!"

Holmquist wrote, "February 26, 1978,

• "Big Jim" Goodley turned in a big "super-sub" effort this past week at Price Lanes. Rolling in the Price Lanes Kirkwood Men's loop, Goodley dazzled the competition with an opening of 258. He came right back with a 234, and game three a big 10th frame carried the veteran righthander over the 700 mark. His final game was 212 for a 704 series.

• This winter league has got to be one of the most enjoyable seasons for Goodley, who has registered several 700's."

February 21, 1978,

• "New member in the 600 club named Gray Miller--605. Others were listed who bowled 575, 543, 507, and 474. They don't get much ink here. Nice Rolling! One word for "Gentleman Jim" Goodley '704 -- Terrific!"

April 16, 1978, Holmquist wrote with very large letters in the headline,

• GOODLEY scatters pins at 203 average "It has been a very big week for '"Big Jim" Goodley. The veteran righthander has really found the "strike zone" at Prices Lanes, his home-away-from-home. Last Monday night, in the house Mixed Major League, Jim smashed out a gigantic 700 series, his first in the league this season. After a 259 opener, Jim came back with a 237, then followed with a 255 for a 751 total.
• "It was second in the league this year, and is the new league high series. Tuesday night he traveled to Fair Lanes in Towson, Md., to compete in the pro tour stop Pro-Am. He got off to a bad start--157 -- but he managed to edge pro Roger Tramp by two pins.

• "PBA member Butch Soper was no match for Jim in game two, as he bunched strikes for a 243 while Soper hit 192. In his final game Jim had a little deuce, 205, and was edged by Jerry Smyth who hails from Alaska and has only been on tour for a year. Smyth bowled 211. Goodley's series total was a respectable 605.
• "Thursday night, back home at Price Lanes, Jim had them buzzing for a fourth time this season in the Men's Major League when he struck for 717 on games 204-245-268. The week's summary for "Big Jim" looks like this: nine games, 2073 tota pins, a 230.3 average!"

April 15, 1979

• Big Jim Goodley 663.

Written on March 20, 1978 was

• "Jim Goodley had 201 - 222 - 200 for 623. Team totals "Why Not? Goodley 547.

Sunday News Journal April 23, 1978

• It took him almost all season but Jim Au (Jimmy Goodley’s son-in-law) finally posted a 600. A little one at that, but still a '6'. Thursday night in the Men's Major League at Price Lanes Jim had a 258 single and looked like he wouldn't have any trouble beating '6'. But he slumped in game three and barely made it woth a 159 for a 603 total. Shortly Jim Au will stop rolling bowling ball and start hitting two other balls: soft ball and golf ball.

April 23, 1978, Holmquist said,

• "Remember I told you last week about "Big Jim" Goodley beating two out of three pros he competed against in the pro-am at Fair Lanes, Towson, Md.? Well, one of his victims, Butch Soper, went on to win the pro tourney stop. Jim Goodley beat Soper 243--192."

May 18, 1978,

• The name of the team WHY NOT saw Jim Au bowling 571 with Jim Goodley bowling 540.

Jimmy Goodley & Jimmy Au partners in more than bowling.

May 21, 1978

• The Adam's4 team swept the championship in the Price Lanes Major League by taking first place in both halves . The league, which has a prize fund of over $10,000, saw "Big" Jim Goodley set a record season high average mark of 2 01. He also posted the highest three game series with a 716. ( A hand written note said, "Jim, This is for rolling the highest three game series in the WBA for the 1977-78 season. Nice Going, Bill.")

November 8 and November 23, 1978, Again, written by Holmquist,

• "Rounding out the top ten men bowlers in the state is Jim Goodley, a new member of the top 10, at 195."

December 17, 1978, Holmquist wrote,

• "42 men will enter in the U.S. Open qualifying tournament today. Several top name local keglers in Newport will include Jim Goodley."

December 31, 1978, Sharon Au, daughter of Jimmy and Vivian Wright Goodley, invited the family for a New Years party and asked everyone to bring a New Years Resolution. Orville Wright brother of Vivian, chose to write a poem about everyone in the family. He wrote about Jimmy Goodley,

"The perfect game is rare, eluding him so far,

Even though his game is well over par.

But a firm resolution from Jim Goodley is clear,

Unlike the Phillies - he won't wait until next year.

April 15, 1979, Holmquist wrote,

• "Across town Thursday night at Price Lanes, seven members of the Price Men's Major League put on quite a scoring display. Chuck Colvin topped the "sensational seven" with a 757 series. A 289 middle game was the key to his success. It gained him a Century Award for bowlng 100 pins over his average (182). In all the years before I only remember one other bowler getting a century patch in this league. Rounding out the sensational seven included Big Jim Goodley, 663."

April 22, 1979, Holmquist said,

• "Literally thousands of strikes had been recorded at Price Lanes 52 lane center. But no one had ever been able to string 12 straight strikes in a single game. That all came to an end Thursday when Dick Purdie of Elkton, Md., buried the final three balls to record Price's first 300, and broke 700 for the evening.
• "It was really something to see, said veteran Price bowler Jim Goodley, who holds top average in the league. 'He got a break in the ninth frame when a late four pin fell. But the final three were all there. The final strike was really something; it just tore the pins apart.' '

May 6, 1979,

• Holmquist wrote about a 15 year old junior bowler Hudak who 718 who had bowled "lots of 600's" Hudak wasn't the only bowler in the league. "Big Jim" Goodley, the best house bowler at Price, scored his first ' 7' of the year with a 701.

June 1, 1979, Holmquist wrote,

• "Adams team delivers an encore . . . The Adams 4 victory ended the most exciting year the league has ever had. It was the year that saw Dick Purdie bowl the first 300 at Prices. Adams came within two pins duplicating that feat a couple of weeks later as he bowled a 298. Two weeks ago seven 700s were bowled in the league, one of them a 768 by a 17 year-old sub Andy Anderson. And while he didn't average better than 200 like he did last year (201), "Big Jim" Goodley again won the league high-average title with 196.4.

September 16, 1979,

• Al Cartwright, sports writer for the New Journal, wished Jimmy Goodley Happy Birthday on 52nd birthday.

November 24, 1979

• Lem Holmquist wrote with pride about the outstanding play for Delaware entries in the world's No. 1 participant indoor sport, Bowling. Perfect games, super high games rolled one right after another, and some outstanding tourment play marked the competition. Three 300s were recorded - all in tournament action - and another 800 series, whch is even more rare than perfecto, was fashioned. It was in tourney play that the high trio was fashioned. You do not need anything more than the ten fingers on your hands to count the number of 800s that have been bowled in Delaware. Just for the record, Jim Goodley and Jim Skinner were the divisional winners.

• After more than 20 years of bowling Jimmy Goodley "known as one of the most well known bowlers in the area" was asked to write a column to become a feature in the Sunday Paper every weekend entitled Good Bowling Advice. He wrote about proper equipment; shoes should fit properly with proper soles on shoes--for right-handed or left-handed bowler; a ball drilled just for you; and, older bowlers should be willing to help junior bowlers, etc. Jimmy Goodley has given free lessons to all who need help.

January 20, 1980

• Jim Goodley, Newark, has been re-elected president of the Delaware State Men's 700 club.

In 2008, he is 81 years old and gives free lessons to the elderly, usually driving to their homes to see they have a ride. Often he has to stand behind older ones to help them if they start to fall.

Happy Birthday Jimmy Goodley!

I attended the Wright reunion which is held on the first weekend in August at the Breaks park in Virginia. Lana came with me. I was a bit apprehensive taking her since I was told there probably wouldn’t be a lot of children there. I was, also, concerned that she would be bored and be a distraction or problem for others who attended. I was looking forward to meeting my cousin, Lois, in person. She was coming with her niece, Sharon Au, and her brother-n-law, Jimmy Goodley from Delaware.

Jimmy and Lois at our table.

Lois, Sharon and Jimmy sat with Lana and me at a table for lunch. I knew that the main reason Sharon and Jimmy attended was to drive Lois and keep her company on the trip. What happened was they were into the reunion as much as Lois and I were and enjoyed themselves immensely.

Sharon with Lana when she received the prize for coming the longest distance.

When we had our Mullins reunion in September I had a table set up, and we talked about our family a lot especially when my cousins were trying to work out the puzzles I gave them each day. Lana was running around totally enjoying herself playing ball, swinging and interrupting the corn hole games. We were talking about someone in the Mullins line. Lana stopped and said “Nana, we are Wrights, too, aren’t we?” I assured her we were. She said she wanted to be sure and go back to the Wright reunion next year. One of the reasons she wants to go is to see Jimmy.

Jimmy Goodley was born on September 17, 1927 in Wilmington, Delaware to Joseph Goodley and Elsie Kulakowska. Elsie had come from Poland. Although they mainly spoke English in his home, he did hear Polish growing up and spoke and sang some of those words to Lana at the reunion.

Jimmy was one of five children. He lost his father at an early age. His mother raised them alone during the depression. It was so hard on his mother working a few hours any place when she heard of a job as she struggled to raise her children in the city. This may have been one reason he wanted to help those who were in need later in his life.

Jimmy would wait for his mother where she worked so he could have time alone with her talking on their way home. He remembered asking for a nickel once, and she told him, "Son, we just don't have it."

As a teenager his mother's cousin, Jim Horba, invited him to come and stay and work with him on his boat at West Palm Beach, Florida. He was to help his uncle prepare foods for the rich. That is where Jimmy’s taste for "the best" was learned. He brought home many recipes including a fruit salad recipe from J. C. Penny’s daughter that he made every Thanksgiving dinner after his marriage.

Jimmy is an athlete. He had been coming from Wilmington to Henderson, Maryland to play baseball. One of his teammates was James Wright. Jimmy was the short stop, and James was on third base. Both were excellent hitters. Jimmy was a fast runner while James' legs had started to slow down.

One day at Kenton, James’ sister, Vivian, went to watch James play in a game. While there when his team did well she would stand, clap her hands, and yell, "Good Play." When there was a chance Jimmy Goodley watched, and thought she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in her gorgeous lavender dress. She left before he could get close enough to speak to her.

Jimmy hung around James and another player while they drank from a bottle of booze. When they left, still drinking, Jimmy decided to follow them in case they ran into a ditch and needed help. He said it seemed they stopped at every farmhouse talking, and he thought they would never get home. Finally, they turned into a long lane leading up to this big white farmhouse. James invited him in to meet his family. That is when he met that beautiful girl with that lovely lavender dress.

I wondered what Vivian’s mother, born a Mullins, married to a Wright and brought up in southwest Virginia, thought of the half Polish suitor of her daughter. Lois told me:

• “Mama found Jimmy very likable but she worried about the difference in their upbringing. She felt that Vivian could find herself raising their children by herself if Jimmy chose to ‘hang out on the corner with his buddies at night.' (After their marriage this did not happen.)

• Mama, as did all Vivian's siblings, got many laughs as he got used to us and our way of life. She told this one often; Jimmy came into the fenced in pasture where she was going to take care of the baby calves to ask for Vivian's hand in marriage. Before she could tell him either way how she felt, he began running and jumping the fence all the time yelling, "MOM, RUN. THAT BULL IS GOING TO ATTACK US." It was only one of her heifers glad to see her and the food in her hands. Mama thought the world of Jimmy and knew Vivian could not have married a better person.”

Jimmy and Vivian dated for about six months. They married on Dec 26, 1949 in Marydel, Maryland

They had two daughters, Sharon Lee and Vivian. Little Vivian did not like her name. She had a tree outside her bedroom window that she called a beetle tree. She took that name for herself and has been “Beetle” ever since.

Jimmy showed great patience to make their marriage work because of the love and closeness Vivian had for her family. However, she did her share, also. When Jimmy began working at Kaumagraph as an apprentice printer his pay was very low. Vivian was able to stretch their small income far. No one could make ends meet so well.

Later, Jimmy thought she served him a hot dog but had none for herself. She had always been an excellent cook and became even better as she shopped for foods to keep them healthy and well. She made all the dresses, slips, skirts and blouses, and Halloween costumes for their two girls.

Vivian was in charge of taking care of their two daughters, house, paying bills, stretching money So often they would be asked for money to help members of the family get from payday to payday or money for a wedding, etc. Vivian never let any money be borrowed without asking Jimmy, and he always told her, "If we have it, let them borrow it." They both knew they would never receive one penny back, and, soon they would be asked again and again.

Sharon Lee, after completing high school and continuing educational courses while teaching piano lessons before and after school, became a secretary. She married Jim Au, and became the mother of two sons, Jimmy and Johnny. She became manager of the Elks Club booking and planning weddings and receptions, etc. for several years. She is now the grandmother of two beautiful children, Jimmy and Mia. She helped her sons continue their educations. She enjoys traveling with Jimmy Goodley wherever he wants to go. She, also, generously drives elderly aunts whatever their needs.

Beetle completed high school. She received the Leif Erickson Award under her birth name of Vivian Lee Goodley. It was listed on the front of the program beneath the Principal of Newark High School and Speaker for the Evening, President of the University of Delaware. Beetle married, became the mother of a son Rick. She divorced. She became a receptionist for a group of heart patient doctors and could take care of six phones at a time. She married again to Ken Condiff. They have a daughter, Sharon Lee. Wanting to stay home and raise her daughter she became a Child Care Provider of six children in their home which she continues today.

Jimmy and Vivian always invited her mother, Lizzie Wright Mullins, whose income was smaller than small, to go on vacations with them. Many interesting stories came from those trips and are spoken about with much laughter today. Lizzie always looked at post cards of the area and would say, "I'd like to have this five cent card but I hate to break my $20.00 bill for five cents." They laughed and wondered how many times that same $20.00 went on vacation with them.

Jimmy and Vivian saved their money and with a $500.00 gift they bought their first and only home. They planned to live there forever, which Vivian did. Family, friends, and neighbors were all welcomed and were served snacks, dinners, breakfasts -- whatever the hour. Their home was known as "a happy home.' Their nieces and nephews and quite wealthy friends’ children never wanted to leave. They saw many tantrum fits thrown when told "we have to leave now."

Jimmy is generous to a fault. Every Thursday after receiving his check he would stop at the local bakery buying and taking freshly baked Italian and rye bread to his mother and later to his mother-in-law and his own home.

Jimmy is a prankster. It did not matter the age of the person or the type of trick he would pull on everyone he knew. He would put things, stink-bombs under the hoods of cars, trucks, and tractors that would explode and send off a smoke-like substance. Often the person who had turned the key on would roll and/or dive from the vehicle causing everyone standing around to laugh.

Once, Jimmy called Vivian's mother, Lizzie Wright, telling her he was calling from the Artesian Water Company. He told her the water was going to be turned for an indefinite amount of time. He instructed her to fill up all of her pots and pans, and even the washtub. Everything she could use was to be filled. When he walked in saying, "Mom, why on earth are you wasting all this water?", she said, "Jimmy, I should have known you made that call", She immediatley started emptying water on her flowers and plants. She forgave him, and he left her the bread he always brought on payday.

Lois’ daughter, Tanya, told this memory of Jimmy:

• "Every time Uncle Jimmy came to our home he would take a walk down that hall and you could say he decorated my room by picking my clothes off the floor and hang them on the curtain rods and on the tops of closet doors and door knobs and my bedstead. I had to take them down and do what should have been done before he came. Sean's room was always clean, but he would go into his room and stuff his shoes with paper, as he did with mine. We'd dress and had to pull paper out of our shoes before going to school or Sunday School. He knew how to get our goat."

Lana took this picture of Jimmy, me and Lois when we stopped at an overlook at the park.  I think she captured the prankster.

On August 23, 1979, Elsie Goodley Andrews, born August 24, 1900, died following a long illness. She was Jimmy Goodley's mother. The many cards, flowers, visitors and family coming to his home, and the funeral parlor showed how well loved Jimmy was with his families, peers, and close friends. Only a few months after her mother's death, Jimmy's eldest sister, Jeannette Goodey Cebenca died January 25, 1980 after a short illness.

Jimmy retired from printing after 35 years in the industry. Sharon’s husband, Jimmy Au, was a Project Civil Engineer and a manager on important construction work in Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland. Jimmy worked with his son-in-law for six years on these jobs after he left the printing business.

Vivian died July 1, 2006 after nearly 57 years of marriage.

Jimmy visits all of his friends and others in nursing homes and hospitals as soon as he hears of an illness. He attends all funerals of those known by him. He knows every kind word will be needed and appreciated at that time.

Nothing but kind words have ever been said about him. Recently, Vivian's nephew, John Thornburg said,

"I went into a wholesale house and asked for credit. I knew the owner would say yes for my credit was excellent. At that time if you had not bought anything on credit you were told to buy something to establish credit, the reason I was there. The man talked with me a few minutes, asking where I had lived as a young child. I told told him a lot of places and the last one I mentioned was near Henderson, Md." He said, 'I used to go there just to watch two guys play baseball. They were brothers-in-law.' Johnny said, "You're talking about my two uncles, James Wright and Jimmy Goodley." He reached over and signed me up for credit then said, 'Now lets sit and talk about them." And they did. Jimmy Goodley and James Wright were the only players at Henderson who were ever paid; each receiving $20.00 per game.

When Lois lost her husband, John Tweedy, her son Sean said,

• "Mom, Dad was a good person. The two people who are there for you now are the best people I have ever known: Uncle Jimmy and Uncle Orville. When they do something for you they don't expect anything back, and they are willing to give of themselves at all times to everyone, not just to you. They are two wonderful men and I admire them for what they are. I am glad they are my uncles."

What could anyone want more than to be so loved and respected by their family and friends? Happy Birthday, Jimmy!!