Dinorah Goodell

Cromwell, CT.—Dinorah Goodell, 94, a longtime resident of Covenant Village passed away May 31, 2022.

Born March 14, 1928 in Stanfordville, New York, Dinorah was the daughter of the late Bernard and Mary Korinek Aronson.  She attended Pine Plains High School and was valedictorian of her class, graduating in 1945.

In 1946 she attended Providence Bible Institute, Providence, RI where she met her future husband, Ralph J. Goodell.  They married in 1951.  Dinorah attended Vassar College where she majored in English and graduated in 1953.  Dinorah was very artistic and loved animals and nature.

Both Dinorah and Ralph were interested in serving others and the following January they left for Kabul, Afghanistan, where Ralph taught English as a second language in several secondary schools.  Dinorah gave art lessons and taught Sunday school for the international community during the 8 years they were there.  In 1962 Dinorah accompanied her husband and three children to Edinburgh, Scotland where her husband studied at the University of Edinburgh.  The family moved to Kensington, CT in 1965.  Dinorah became very interested in natural health and began working part-time in a local health food store.  She also completed a master’s degree in English at Central Connecticut State University.  Dinorah and Ralph maintained a lifelong interest in Afghanistan, a beautiful country which was dear to them.  They got to know several Afghan famiilies in CT and often spent time with them.  Even in her 80s Dinorah could speak Persian with her Afghan friends on the phone.

In 2002 Dinorah and her husband moved to Covenant Village, Cromwell, CT.  She loved to cook and often shared delicious muffins and soup with neighbors and friends.  She also loved cats, and had a great way of communicating with them, even the feral ones.  It was not surprising that she earned the nickname, “The Cat Whisperer.”  Her husband preceded her in death in 2014.  Her sister Betty also preceded her in death in May 2018, and her sister Ruth in the spring of 2019.  Dinorah is survived by her three children: Jonathan and his wife, Betsy; daughter Elizabeth, and son, Peter; and three grandchildren: Sarah and her husband Andy, Brian and his wife Charlotte, and David.  She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Martha Goodell, and the following nieces and nephews: Meg Van Dyne, Cas Eckert, Ellen Evans, Sharon Duncan, Ruth Stickney, David Goodell, and Daniel Goodell.

A memorial service is planned for Friday, July 15, 2022 at 10:00 am in the Event Center at Covenant Living of Cromwell.  Erickson-Hansen Funeral Home in New Britain, CT is in charge of arrangements.  In lieu of flowers memorial donations may be made to Smile Train, or to a charity of your choice.