Cecil Nooney Goff

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9

Beloved husband, dad and grandpa, Cecil Nooney Goff, 83 of Geneva, Florida passed away on Saturday, October 1, 2016. Cecil was born on March 1, 1933 in Tampa, Florida, the firstborn son of Nooney and Bernice Goff.

Cecil grew up in Tampa with his younger brother Bob. He graduated from Hillsborough High School, enlisted in 1953 with the United States Air Force and was stationed in the South Pacific as a radio operator. A year later, he was transferred to Minot Air Force Station, in North Dakota where he met a blonde, blue-eyed girl with a sparkly smile named Arlis Suckert. Two years later, Cecil and Arlis were married on June 2, 1956.

In 1957, Cecil was discharged from the Air Force, and moved to Gainesville to attend his adored University of Florida. In the midst of his engineering study, his two children, Cecilia and Steve were born. After graduating with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, he moved his young family to Panama City to start his career at the Naval Training Center. In 1963, he paused his career to earn a Master's Degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Penn State.

In 1968, Cecil transferred to the Naval Training Center in Orlando, Florida and worked until his retirement in 1989.

To say Cecil was a car hobbyist is an understatement. He was a master craftsman. His skill was the restoration of antique cars specifically Fords, although he did break tradition with a Plymouth and a quickly abandoned attempt at a Jaguar. He was a known expert on the 1949-1951 Fords. Car enthusiasts worldwide consulted him and even visited to view his cars. He served as president of the Early V8 Club, and was a member of the Antique Automobile Club of America. Among his repertoire of restored cars are a:
• 1950 Ford Convertible – Cecil's first car also known as the "old yellow car" or "the marriage carriage"
• 1951 Ford Truck – "the green truck"
• 1936 Ford Cabriolet – convertible complete with rumble seat
• 1965 Ford Mustang - convertible
• 1951 Ford Crestliner
• 1950 Ford Woody
His crowning achievement was his 1936 Ford Cabriolet winning best of show in the 1979 National Classic Car Show in Cypress Garden. His cars have been featured in museums, Disney parades, and various media.

Many favorite family memories are centered on his antique cars – trips to the lake in the green truck, Fourth of July parades in Geneva, and the weddings of grandchildren.
Above all, Cecil loved his family, animals, especially his Labradors and his adored Florida Gators, and he loved them well. He was a kind, intelligent man with many interesting stories his legacy will continue to tell.

If you would like to give a memorable gift, the family suggests the Labrador Retriever Rescue of Florida where Cecil found his much loved Katie or the University of Florida Foundation.