Retired Army Colonel, R. Thomas Goodden, died in Gainesville, FL, after battling Parkinson's Disease and Lewy Body Dementia. He was born in Springfield, IL, the firstborn of Royal G. Goodden and Norma (Hamrick).

Tom is survived by his wife, Karen Bennett and his step-children Laura Rose Bennett; her husband Bharat Sanders and Kyle Bennett, and his partner Samantha Tiffany; his former wife and the mother of his children, Julie Rose Ruby; his daughter Amy Goodden, her husband Wayne Fisher, and granddaughter, Claire Fisher; his son Robert Vallance Goodden; and former wife and friend, Parvin Van Enger. He is also survived by siblings Robert Goodden, Ronald Goodden, Pamela Keeton, and Richard Goodden. He was preceded in death by brother Randall Goodden.

Tom Goodden was first and foremost an amazing dad to Amy and Bob Goodden. He always put his children first. When Amy and her husband, Fish, had a daughter, Claire, Tom immediately became her loving and dedicated PopPop. Claire was his whole world for the first 3 years of her life. When Tom met Karen Bennett at Claire's first Preschool and later married her, Tom became a loving second dad to Laura and Kyle Bennett. Tom gave all of himself to caring for his loved ones and always put his children first.

Tom pursued a dream career serving his country with a passion for national security. Army officer, corporate executive, intelligence analyst, senior Department of Defense civilian, author, and academic.

Tom was commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Army in 1966 after graduating as a Distinguished Military Student from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He attended the Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, Military Intelligence Officer Orientation Course, and the Aerial Surveillance Course and went on to serve more than 27 years as a Military Intelligence Officer. Later he completed the Army Civil Affairs Officer Advanced Course, Army Command and General Staff Officer Course, and U.S. Army War College. After leaving active duty, he commanded the 629th Military Intelligence Battalion in the 29th Infantry Division of the Maryland National Guard, as well as a civil affairs unit and other units.

Over the course of his career, Tom melded his military training, service in government, and work in the defense industry to help further national security. He served on a SALT-II inspection team in Russia; spent three years in Germany conducting signals intelligence that would help stop a major cyber security intrusion in the U.S.; and while at the Defense Intelligence Agency collected information that would provide critical target data during the First Gulf War. Tom developed a keen awareness of the importance of the defense industrial base to national security through senior positions at various companies. Of significance was his involvement in the development of the U.S. Army's first mobile tactical telephone system – the Mobile Subscriber Equipment (MSE), a game-changer during the First Gulf War.

In his later years, Tom was a senior civilian in the Pentagon working for the Department of Defense on streamlining and improving training when it was hit on 9/11.

Tom co-authored two preeminent books on intelligence and cybersecurity, "Strategic Intelligence: Theory and Application" together with Douglas Dearth (1995), and "Cyberwar: Security, Strategy, and Conflict in the Information Age" together with Douglas Dearth and Alan Campen (1996).

In addition to a Bachelor of Science in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Tom earned a Master of Science in strategic intelligence and a Doctor of Public Administration.

Tom will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date. In lieu of flowers, or contributions, the family requests that you hug your loved ones tightly and consider serving your community in Tom's honor.

Arrangements have been entrusted to Forest Meadows Funeral Home 725 NW 23rd Ave. Gainesville, FL 32609...352-378-2528