Dr. Arlie Vernon (A.V.) Goyne

Dr. Arlie Vernon (A.V.) Goyne, Jr. of Arlington, Texas was born on September 4, 1921 in Longview, Texas to Arlie V. Goyne and Amie Wise Goyne. Peacefully but unexpectedly, he departed this earth on February 27, 2016. At the time of his death, A.V. had been a resident of Arlington for 58 years. To the end, he remarked with thanksgiving how his life had been filled with blessings. A.V. was kind, compassionate, generous, keenly intelligent, a true gentleman, and a shining inspiration and example to those who knew and loved him. A.V. graduated from Longview High in 1938 as valedictorian of his class, and two years later he graduated as valedictorian of Kilgore College. In 1942, he received his B.A. with honors from the University of Texas. A.V. served his country in the United States Army for three years during World War II, spending the final year on the island of Saipan in the South Pacific. Following the end of the war, he returned to Austin and UT to pursue his graduate studies. There he met the love of his life, Minetta Altgelt of New Braunfels, TX. A.V. and Minetta were married in 1947. Prior to returning to UT for his Doctor's degree in English, he taught at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, CO. A.V. also taught at LSU in Baton Rouge before moving to Arlington in 1957 where he joined the English department faculty of what was then Arlington State College and is now the University of Texas at Arlington. A.V. taught at UTA for over 30 years, along the way winning both teaching and counseling awards. Not long after retiring from UTA, A.V. joined and immensely enjoyed the volunteer auxiliary of Arlington Memorial Hospital where he served for 23 years in a number of capacities, including being the first male president of the Auxiliary and serving as the award-winning editor of its newsletter. A.V.'s interests were many. Until the final day of his life, he read voraciously -- everything from masterpieces of world literature to theology to more popular fare including a detective series "narrated" by its wry, observant canine protagonist. At his retirement community, A.V. was an active participant in a Trivial Pursuit league and a group that performed "golden age of radio" skits for the other residents. He was a remarkable correspondent: his letters were articulate, newsy, personalized, witty, insightful, heartwarming and cherished by their recipients. A.V. was preceded in death by his parents; his beloved wife, Minetta; his sister, Kathleen Sullivan Goyne Halamicek; and his granddaughter, Kathryn Elizabeth Goyne. A.V. is survived by his son, Rick Goyne, and Rick's wife, Linda Atherton Goyne, of Dallas; their son, Matthew Robert Goyne, his wife, Abigail Davis Goyne, and their newborn daughter, Grace Elizabeth Goyne, of Dallas. In addition to his immediate family, A.V. loved Linda's extended Atherton family who always welcomed him as one of their own and called him "Uncle A.V." The family would like to thank A.V.'s caregivers, Gloria McClain, Peggy Fox, Christine Kelly and April Scott, for the care and attention they bestowed on him in recent years. There will be a memorial and celebration of life service for A.V. at 2 p.m., Saturday, March 12, at Wade Family Funeral Home, 4140 West Pioneer Parkway, in Arlington. The family has requested that, in lieu of flowers, those wishing to do so make a contribution in A.V.'s memory to the SPCA of Texas, 2400 Lone Star Drive, Dallas, TX 75212.