Dr. Donald James Goodwin DrPH age 81 of Livingston and formerly of Lebanon passed away February 11, 2026. Born December 7, 1944, in Oakland, California, he was the son of the late John Lance Goodwin and Gretchen Gregg Creech Goodwin. He received his doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles. He was a United States Army Veteran of the Vietnam war serving in the Special Forces as a medic. He received the Purple Heart and Combat Medical Badge.

Dr. Goodwin was an Epidemiologist and educator. He was the Chief Scientist for the United States Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright Patterson Air Force Base for nine years where he planned, developed funding for, and implemented epidemiologic research; served as Principal Investigator for clinical trials to develop and enhance Tuberculosis diagnosis using interferon gamma release assays (IGRA Tests). He had 25 Publications involving tuberculosis and 7 involving hepatitis. Technical Officer and Epidemiology Consultant at Myanmar National AIDS Program (SE Asia Regional Office) for the World Health Organization, World Health Organization Epidemiology Consultant Global AIDS Professor in Geneva, Switzerland for four years, Director of the Bureau of Epidemiology and South Carolina State Chronic Disease and Epidemiologist for South Carolina State Department of Health and Environmental Control for over five years, Adjunct Associate Professor Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, for five years, Associate Professor Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health for over two years and developed the school’s first HIV/AIDS course.

His extensive work carried him to twenty-three counties around the world. An advocate of organ donation, he donated a kidney in 2003.

Dr. Goodwin was a member of Lebanon First Presbyterian Church.

Survivors include special friend, Brenda Goodwin; three children: Kim, Chris, and Hope Goodwin; two brothers: Gregg Lance (Christie) Goodwin, John Gary (Shirley) Goodwin.

Memorial services will be held Friday, February 20, 2026, at 2 p.m. from the Ligon & Bobo Funeral Home, 241 West Main Street, Lebanon, with Rev. Sherard Edington officiating. Visitation 1-2 p.m.

LIGON & BOBO FUNERAL HOME in charge of arrangements.