Keith Goodson Obituary, Death – It was announced on Tuesday, October 3, 2023, at Waterbury Hospital that Keith Joseph “Goody” Goodson, 68, the husband of Rita (Bellefleur) Goodson, had unexpectedly passed away. Keith was the son of the late Joseph A. Goodson and Lydia P. (Giancarli) Goodson and was born in Waterbury on August 12, 1955. His parents have now passed away. Keith was a native and longtime resident of Naugatuck. He attended Naugatuck High School and graduated with the Class of 1973. While at Naugatuck High School, Keith participated in the school’s baseball, football, basketball, and soccer teams.
After that, Keith spent four years working as a medic for the United States Air Force, attended Waterbury State Technical College, and ultimately became a registered nurse after graduating from the final class of St. Mary’s School of Nursing. After almost 40 years of working in the Perioperative Services at Yale New Haven Hospital, Keith retired in 2021.
During that time, he held many different positions, including those of Nurse in the Operating Room, Supervisor in the Operating Room, and Nurse in the Presurgical Evaluation Center, where he was known as the “Mayor” of the department and was his coworker’s primary resource.
Additionally, Keith lobbied for the Veterans Affairs patients prior to their operations. The very first heart transplant that was ever performed at YNHH was aided by Keith. During the time that Keith worked at Yale, he was presented with the Nightengale distinction, which is a prestigious distinction for nursing excellence.
In order to be considered for this award, an individual must have demonstrated a commitment to putting the needs of patients first. During his time at Yale, Keith accompanied a number of medical professionals to Columbia for a variety of surgical procedures on children, including those for cleft palate and burns. Keith was an important part of the Toy Closet Golf Committee for almost 29 years. This committee was formed by his great friend Ann Nyberg and other coworkers to raise money so that pediatric patients who were being discharged may choose a toy before they left the hospital.
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