08/11/2026
It's hard to put into words what Eric Goodale meant to our team and to so many people in the communities we serve...the communities he served. We grieve the loss of a dear friend, faithful teammate, and man who deeply loved Jesus.
Eric came to The Well Knoxville just before we opened the Resource Center doors in May 2019. He first served as Team Lead Care Coordinator and later as Resource Center Manager. During that time, he sat in more than 6,000 client appointments, made more than 550 home visits, and personally welcomed over 15,000 people through our doors.
While those numbers reflect tremendous impact, they don't begin to tell the story of Eric.
With a bright smile and joyful spirit, Eric cared deeply about the things that mattered to other people. He had Hope for people, even when they couldn't see it for themselves.
Eric's ministry didn't stop when he left work, it went with him wherever he went. He prayed with people in parking lots, continued conversations while picking up a last-minute supper item at the grocery store, looked at vehicles that needed repairs, scraped and painted homes, and stepped in to help wherever he saw a need. An avid fisherman, Eric even kept an extra fishing pole in his trunk in case he met someone who wanted to learn how to fish...and over the years, he gave many of those poles away.
And Eric prayed. A lot.
At the end of nearly every client appointment, he would say, "You're welcome to say no, but I'm going to pray for you anyway. So, is there anything specific you'd like me to pray for?" Only two people ever declined...and one came back about 20 minutes later and asked him to pray after all.
If you knew Eric, you knew he remembered your name. The truth is, he remembered the name of every person he met. He was a fisher of men. He saw value in every person. Most of all, he loved Jesus.
Eric loved because Jesus first loved him. That love shaped the way he treated others. It gave him hope to share, grace to extend, and a reason to keep showing up for people.
He was also a faithful teammate. Many mornings, Eric arrived early to cook breakfast for the Well team. He treasured gathering around the table, sharing a meal, and making time for conversation. Those mornings around the kitchen island in our program room are memories we will always cherish.
We'll miss his prayers, his smile, his hugs, his friendship, those mornings around the island before the doors opened, and seeing him worship with his arms raised high.
We are praying for the people Eric served. Many of them will grieve his loss, too. We pray they will continue to know the Hope and love Eric shared so freely.
If you'd like to honor Eric's memory, talk to someone new today. Learn their name. Save them a seat. Pray for them. Believe in them, especially when they can't see hope for themselves. That's what Eric did. He pointed people to Jesus.
The Fairfield Resource Center will be closed on Monday, August 17, so our team can attend the funeral service and pay our respects.
Service information:
https://www.pierschbacherfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Eric-L-Goodale
Please keep Eric's wife, Brenda, and their children, Elizabeth, Cassin Garr, William, and Grace, in your prayers. Many will feel his absence deeply. Even in our grief, we rejoice in Eric's Homecoming. Death is painful, but it does not have the final victory, because our hope is in Jesus.
