Mario P. Goderich February 10, 2022
Miami, Florida - Judge Mario P. Goderich passed away peacefully at his home on Thursday, February 10, with his life-partner, Ginette Garrandes, by his side.
Mario is survived by Ginette; his children Mario E. Goderich (Zuleyka Goderich) and Marcia Marion widow of Frank Marion; his stepdaughters Janine Zeledon (Juan Carlos Zeledon) and Janessa Garrandes (Deivy Meza) his grandchildren Natasha Washington (Justin Washington), Emily Goderich (Ray Bush) Alexander Goderich, and Amie Goderich, Austin Torres, Julian Zeledon, Juliette Zeledon, Kirin Meza, his great-granddaughter, Trinity Washington, and countless family and friends that loved and will miss him dearly.
He is preceded in death by his parents Mario Goderich and Virginia Goderich Caiñas.
Mario P. Goderich was born in Santiago de Cuba, Oriente, Cuba. While still living in Cuba, his parents enrolled him in high school at Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia. After graduating, he returned to Cuba where he attended the University of Havana School of Law. He received his Doctor of Civil Laws degree in 1957 and practiced law in Cuba with the firm of Castellanos & Goderich.
In 1961, Judge Goderich immigrated to the United States where he took a position at IBM to support his family. He then attended the University of Miami School of Law where he graduated in 1966 with a Juris Doctor, after two and half years. Upon graduating, he took a position as the associate law librarian at the University of Miami School while he going through the naturalization process. In 1969, Mario became an American citizen and was admitted to The Florida Bar. He later became the University of Miami Law Library director and was an instructor of law.
In 1975, he became the first Cuban-American appointed to the Court of Industrial Claims, then to the 11th Judicial Circuit in 1978, and to the Third District Court of Appeal in 1990. He was the first Cuban-American to sit on all three of those courts. He was one of the founding members and first president of the Cuban-American Bar Association.
During his career, he published several works on international law, legal research and comparative law and served on the Supreme Court Committee on Standard Jury Instructions in Civil Cases from 1995-1997.
In addition, Judge Goderich received numerous honors, awards and recognition including Outstanding Judge by the Council on Crime and Delinquency and The Lawyer of the Americas Award by the University of Miami InterAmerican Law Review. He was the first recipient of the Francisco Garcia-Amador Award presented by the Center for Hispanic and Caribbean Legal Studies and was bestowed the Order of Democracy by the Republic of Colombia. He’s been recognized as St. Thomas University School of Law’s Jurist of the Year and has received the honor of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund Award of Excellence award. In addition, Judge Goderich continues to pave the way through established awards such as The Mario P. Goderich Legal Ethics Award, presented by the Dade County Bar Association, the P.A.V.E.R award presented by CABA, as well as The Mario P. Goderich Merit Scholarship at Florida International University.
Judge Goderich retired from the Court in 2005 upon reaching mandatory retirement age where he later joined the law firm of Gunster & Yoakley and became a Florida Supreme Court certified mediator.
In addition to all his accomplishments, Mario enjoyed playing tennis, traveling, music and dancing. He enjoyed the company of his longtime friends and family, as well as his children and grandchildren. Mario will be remembered as the trailblazer he was, and his memory will continue to pave the way for others. Judge Wetherington said it best calling him, “The true Renaissance man”; “The Maurice Chevalier of the Court”. Mario, you will be sorely missed but will continue to live in our hearts forever.
Viewing will be held on Tuesday, February 15th from 6-9pm at Stanfill Funeral Home 10545 South Dixie Hwy, Miami, Florida 33156