Charity Jane Goodwin was born on May 22, 1945, to Drexel and Lovie Proctor in Rutherfordton, North Carolina.  Along with her family, she moved to Detroit, Michigan approximately six years later and resided in Detroit until July 2020.

Charity was a graduate of Cass Technical High School in Detroit and what is now known as the University of Detroit Mercy. During the early stages of her career, she became the first African American woman to work in an administrative support position for the Dearborn office of Bethlehem Steel.  However, her real passion and calling was to the classroom.  After finishing all of her requirements, Charity went on to teach first grade students for over twenty years – first, with the Archdiocese of Detroit, and later with the Detroit Public Schools.  She loved all children and had a deep passion for guiding the intellectual and moral formation of her students.  Charity was beloved as a teacher, the kind of teacher that both parents and students remembered and treasured years later.  Her genuine concern for the welfare of her students and their families was widely known, along with the fact that Mrs. Goodwin “did not play.”  She managed to create a safe, loving, structured environment for her students, some of whom lacked such a space in their home lives.

Above all else, Charity was a woman of God.  Following the lead of her older sister, she came to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as her savior at New Liberty Baptist Church under the leadership of Pastor E.A. Rundless II.  She went on to marry the Rev. Claude Goodwin, who pastored Providence Missionary Baptist Church in Pontiac, Michigan for over 50 years.  Following the passing of her husband in 2008, Charity began to follow the ministry of Dr. Benjamin Baker and later joined the Church of Abundant Life in Southfield, Michigan, a church plant founded by Dr. Baker.  There, she faithfully served with the choir and participated in the regular ministry activities of the church.  Throughout her Christian journey, Charity exhibited a consistent obedience to the commands to love God and to love people.  Whatever was asked of her in a ministry context, her answer was yes.  Whether serving in a food pantry, providing rides to and from church, or simply quietly serving in a background support role to her husband’s ministry, Charity’s service to the Kingdom exemplified what it meant to be faithful in the little things.  While she loved everyone to the best of her abilities, her life was marked by a special love for the Lord and willingness to lead a quiet, simple, humble life of service to her Lord.

Following her love for the Lord, the great loves of her life were her husband and her two sons.  A devoted wife and mother, Charity gave the best of her love to her family each and every day. Whether cooking meals for her family, taking her children to school or their sporting events, or generally creating a loving home, she consistently placed the needs of her family above her own.  In turn, she was loved deeply and cherished by her husband and her sons.

In her spare time, she enjoyed studying the Bible, reading works of fiction, and watching movies and television shows.  Although someone who loved being at home, she also loved to stay in touch with family and friends both in person and over the telephone.  She regularly maintained contact with many loved ones, providing encouragement and counsel to each.  Charity is survived by her son Jonathan (Jennifer) and her son Andrew (Carmen), her two grandchildren (Drexel and Vander Goodwin), her sister Ann Jones and her sister, Patricia Douglas (Ernie), and a host of other relatives and friends.  To each, she was a truly special, greatly loved person and the embodiment of her name—love.