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In memory of

Crystal Hurst Gooding

Sarasota, FL, USA

May 6, 1949 - March 1, 2020

May 6, 1949 - Mar 1, 2020

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Crystal May (Hurst) Gooding, aged 70, passed away peacefully in Sarasota, FL on March 1, 2020. Born in Norfolk, VA in 1949, she was the youngest child of Harry Melvin Hurst, Sr. and Ruth Bryant Hill. She was preceded in death by her husband of 48 years, Kenneth E. Gooding, Jr. Their chance meeting at the NOB Officer’s Club and a dance contest win kicked off the love story of a lifetime.

Crystal is survived by her two brothers: Larry (wife Celeste) and Harry Melvin Hurst; her three children: son Kenneth (wife Trena), daughter Saundra (husband Robert), and daughter Michelle (husband Jason); and her 5 grandchildren: Crystal, Kayla, Lauren, Tanner, and Taylor.

Crystal held many titles throughout her life – Domestic Engineer, Navy Spouse, Long-haired Mess Cook, Chief Cook & Bottle Washer, and XO of the Gooding family – but none so important to her as Wife and Mother. Those who knew her best will remember her love of music, particularly Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture and any Rodgers and Hammerstein score. Those who spent a night in the Gooding household no doubt experienced an awakening to the sounds of cannon blasts or a rousing rendition of “Oh What A Beautiful Morning."

Crystal didn’t know a stranger. To her, every encounter was a chance to make a friend. She was always ready with a kind word or a helping hand, whether she knew you or not. For many of her children’s friends, both in NJROTC and out, she was also an honorary “Mom”. She volunteered at school, chauffeured kids to drill meets, chaperoned field trips and, on occasion, even ironed uniforms. The love she showed - to family, friends, wayward service members, and strangers alike - still resonates with those whose lives she touched.

As Crystal lead a simple life, so was her request for a simple service. Accordingly, there will be no wake or formal post-service gathering. She will be interred with her husband at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Norfolk, VA on Friday, April 3, 2020 at 11:00 am. In lieu of flowers or donations, the family requests that you bring a memory to share and be ready to sing songs in celebration of Crystal’s life. As a woman who never stopped giving, she deserves nothing less.

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