Robert A. Goings Jr.

Robert A. Goings Jr., 75, of Springville, passed away Sunday, August 7, 2017. Bob was born to Robert A. and Marjorie Goings in 1942 in Los Angeles, the youngest of four brothers. As a child, Bob loved life and his family, and attracted a variety of pets, including a chicken. Bob went to elementary school in Porterville and Strathmore. He graduated from Gardena High School, where he was student body president and active in music and drama.

Bob studied journalism at U.C Berkeley and was a lifelong Cal Bears fan. In 1963, he and a friend traveled on a tanker from Los Angeles to Lisbon. Driving a Renault Dauphine, they followed spring north through Portugal, Spain, Italy, Germany, and France, to England, where they and their car caught the Queen Mary back to New York and drove home to Los Angeles. Bob became a travel researcher, writing travel guides for the Automobile Club of Southern California until he became the director of publications at U.C. Irvine.

In 1967, Bob and several Los Angeles friends bought vacation property on Bear Creek, above Springville. Some years later, Bob conveyed building materials by wheel barrow from the apple barn on Bear Creek Road, down to and across the creek, and then up to the site of the charming cabin he built and lived in for many years. Eventually he built a bridge and driveway. For a time he worked as editor for the Springville weekly newspaper, the Tule River Times.

Bob studied astrology and metaphysics with his mentor, Edmund Fernald of Laguna Beach. Together, they traveled extensively in Mexico. When Mr. Fernald died in 1984, he left his assets to the Edmund Fernald Retreat and Study Center, Inc. The center’s purpose was to enhance selfrealization and enlightenment through teaching, research and retreats. Bob administered this center on Tule River Drive in Springville, facilitating classes in energy healing and Native American spirituality. In 2005 Bob found a new location for the Center’s work, riverside property in El Fuerte, Sinaloa, Mexico. The Center bought the land as a nature preserve. Once established, it was turned over to a Mexican nonprofit corporation. In 2007, the name of the Fernald Center was changed to Sequoia Center for Holistic Studies. The community who gathered around the Center continues to meet regularly, and deeply grieves the loss of Bob’s leadership.

Preceded in death by his parents and brothers Ron and Don, Bob’s memory is cherished by his brother Bud and sisterin-law Peggy, nephews, nieces and legions of friends who appreciate surrogate daughter Sue Manuel’s dedication to Bob during his final illness.

Please make remembrances to United Cerebral Palsy Hanford Center, 606 W. 6th St., Hanford 93230, Bob’s last place of employment. He hoped to build a playground there for the preschool children whom he loved teaching.

A memorial celebration will be held at 11:00 a.m. September 24, at Tulare Senior Center, 201 N. F Street, Tulare, California.