Sara Purser Goodman

Sara Purser Goodman was born November 4, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, to David Ingram Purser III and Sara Steele  Purser. She grew up in Clemson and graduated from Emory University in Atlanta. As the wife of a U.S. Marine, she lived near  Camp Lejeune, North Carolina (where her first child was born), and supported her husband and family during law school at the University of Georgia, ultimately settling in Atlanta, Georgia, for many decades.

Very early in her adulthood in Athens, Georgia, she became a social worker. After earning a Masters in Social Work at Atlanta  University, she continued to work as a social worker, counselor, and therapist in many different settings and roles in Atlanta.  She was especially gifted at counseling troubled adolescents.

A charismatic person who was great at “reading” people, Sara made close friends wherever she lived. Beyond her early decades in Atlanta, Sara lived in Kinston, North Carolina,; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In 2004, she moved to Georgetown, Texas, to be close to her grandchildren, with whom she developed the strongest of relationships.

Many friends have described Sara as “their rock,” a person who was not only a great listener but also a great at giver advice. She  spent many, many hours on the phone counseling friends who faced tough situations in their lives. She possessed an eager ear, a  compassionate heart, and real intelligence about the best ways to help.

Sara was someone not only devoted to books and literature but also committed to making that experience a positive one for others. She led book groups and was a member of many more. The child of an English professor, a winner of literary prizes in  her youth, and an English major in college, she had a command of the English language that her children and grandchildren endeavor to match. Many others benefited from her love of literature and her ability, even in her last weeks of life, to recite  specific lines from literature and poetry.

Just as importantly, Sara lived her life dedicated to the notion that all people should be treated with dignity. As a young social  worker in rural Georgia in the mid-1960’s, she risked losing her job for demanding that an African-American client be referred to as “Mr.” (After her disciplinary proceeding, the state of Georgia changed its policy to require that all recipients of state  services be referred to by official titles like “Mr.” and “Ms.”) Throughout her life, she continued to support causes and people  who were devoted to the full dignity of all human beings.

Sara is survived by her children Wallis Goodman (Shelley Sallee) of Austin and Andrew Goodman (Alexandra Zinnes) of  Atlanta; her brother David Ingram Purser IV (Ellen) of Atlanta; grandchildren Henry Goodman and Kate Goodman; and nephews Eric Purser and John David Purser.

Her family and friends will hold a private celebration of life at some point in the coming weeks.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Caring Place (www.caringplacetx.org) or Brookwood in Georgetown, a support  organization for those with disabilities (https://bigtx.org/donate).