Eric Goodale

Eric Goodale, 50, of rural Pleasantville, was called home to be with Jesus on
Wednesday, August 5, 2026. Funeral services and a worship time to honor Eric’s
personal mission and lasting legacy to Love God and Love People, will be held Monday,
August 17, 2026, beginning at 1:00 p.m. at the Celebrate Church in Knoxville. A private
burial will be held at the Knowlton Cemetery near Diagonal, Iowa.
Family will greet friends on Sunday, August 16, 2026, from 4:00 until 7:00 p.m. at the
Celebrate Church in Knoxville. Friends may also stop at the Pierschbacher Funeral
Home in Knoxville to pay their respects Thursday, August 13th through Friday, August
14th.
On November 12, 1975, Eric Goodale was born to Steven “Steve” and Karen (Gotcher)
Goodale in Albany, Missouri. He grew up in the Martensdale area alongside his sister
and spent many cherished days visiting his grandparents’ farm near Diagonal with
uncles, aunts, and cousins who meant the world to him.
Even as a young man, Eric had a gift for being involved and connecting with those
around him. During high school, he participated in speech, drama club, sports, band,
and choir. After graduating in 1994, Eric attended Northwest Missouri State University,
where he was an unofficial “Beercat” and studied sociology and psychology.
Eric devoted all of his professional life to helping others. For 20 years, he worked at
Youth Homes of Mid-America (now Ellipsis) before continuing that calling at The Well,
where he served as a care coordinator and leader in the Knoxville Resource Center,
greeting everyone who came through the doors with a hug and an offer to pray with
them. His years at Youth Homes of Mid-America held an especially important place in
his heart for another reason, it was there that he met the love of his life, Brenda.
Eric and Brenda (Van Maanen) were married on March 19, 2005, and built a happy life
together. Their story began in true Eric fashion. On their very first date, Eric wanted to
show Brenda his fishing pictures from a recent family trip to Minnesota, a yearly tradition
that Brenda and the kids soon joined. It was a fitting beginning for a man whose love of
fishing would remain such a joyful part of his life.
Eric was a gifted writer. For a short time, he focused those skills as a writer for the Iowa
Sportsman magazine. During that time, he was also a charter member of the Central
Iowa Anglers fishing club and a moderator for the Iowa Outdoors website, where he
made many friends and shared many fishing stories. More recently, those stories were
shared on Eric’s personal blog and YouTube channel, both appropriately named “Faith,
Family, Fishing.”
At the very center of Eric’s life, however, was his relationship with his Lord and Savior.
His faith was not simply something he spoke about; it was reflected in the way he lived
and the way he treated people. Two phrases captured that faith especially well: “Love
God and love people,” and “God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.”
These were more than familiar sayings to Eric. They were words he built his life around.
Eric truly did love people. He had a remarkable ability to meet people exactly where
they were. He made friends everywhere he went, and people were naturally drawn to
his kind and genuine heart. When Eric talked with someone, he had a way of making
that person feel as though they were the only one in the room. He listened. He cared.
He connected. Whether someone had known him for years or had only just met him,
Eric made them feel valued.
Eric used those gifts from the Lord through active involvement in church ministry at
Celebrate Church, and through his role as a founding board member and volunteer for
Pleasantville Youth Initiative.
When he had time to himself, Eric’s favorite places to be were on the lake, sitting in a
boat with a fishing pole in his hand, in the crowd cheering on his kids in their fine arts
events, or in the stands rooting for the local sports teams. He carried a special love for
the Iowa Hawkeyes, the Pleasantville Trojans, and whatever team his nieces, nephews,
or friends were currently playing on. Nothing was more important to Eric than spending
time with his family. He was so very proud of his children and loved watching them grow
into who God made them to be.
Eric leaves behind far more than memories. He leaves an example of what it means to
live with faith, to care deeply for others, and to make people feel seen and loved. “This
is the day the Lord has made!”
Eric will be greatly missed by all who knew him. He is survived by his wife, Brenda
Goodale; children: Elizabeth (Cassin) Garr, William Goodale, and Grace Goodale; father
and best friend, Steve; mother, Karen; sister, Angela (Jerry) Bedwell; niece Ally (Jake);
nephew, Jace; father and mother-in-law, Don & Rita Van Maanen; brothers-in-law,
Darren Van Maanen and Wes (Taunya) Van Maanen, nieces and nephews, Klaeton
(Holly), Paige (Josiah), Jaed (Natasha), Trae, Daiva, Kaesy, and a wealth of aunts,
uncles, cousins, and extended family and friends who adore him.