William Arthur Goff

Judge William Arthur Goff died Monday, July 8, 2019 at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa following an extended illness. He was born in Sulphur, Oklahoma, August 30, 1929, to Paul Eckert and Adeline Dell (Krachy) Goffe. He graduated from Sulphur High School in 1947, and the University of Oklahoma in 1951. He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Air Force and served on active duty in Japan and Korea. He subsequently served nine years in the Air Force Reserve, attaining the rank of Captain. In later years he served as a Trustee of the Falcon Foundation at the United States Air Force Academy. Bill graduated from the University of Oklahoma, College of Law in 1953. He served four years as a trial attorney in the Office of Chief Counsel of Internal Revenue Service, in St. Paul, Minnesota and St. Louis, Missouri. In 1957 Bill moved to Tulsa and practiced law in the firm of Martin, Logan, Moyers, Martin & Conway until 1971. In light of his expertise in tax law, Oklahoma Senator Henry Bellmon recommended him to fill a vacancy on the United States Tax Court. He was nominated by President Richard Nixon and served on the court from 1971 to 1986 and on Senior Status until 1992. While in Washington, D.C. Judge Goff served as a Trustee and Member of the Session of National Presbyterian Church. Following his service on the Tax Court, he returned to Tulsa and affiliated with the law firm of Stuart, Biolchini, Turner and Givray, and later practiced law independently. In 1998 Bill moved to Colorado and served as Director of Colorado Opera Festival in Colorado Springs. He was an avid runner decades before that became fashionable. He also commuted frequently on his bike from his home in Alexandria, Virginia to his chambers in Washington, DC - again years ahead of his time. He was an accomplished cook and avid patron of the arts - both as a collector of paintings and as an opera lover. He had a warm, engaging personality and was a fascinating conversationalist that earned him a wide circle of friends. Judge Goff is survived by his brother, John O. Goffe, of Byron Center, Michigan, and nephews, Dr. William L. Goffe of State College, Pennsylvania, Thomas H. Goffe and his wife Sheila Hayes Goffe of Smithfield, North Carolina, and niece, Mary Jane (Goffe) Cook and her husband Lee H. Cook of Middleville, Michigan in addition to his very dear friends John and Barbara Turner of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Bill changed his surname from Goffe to Goff, to conform to a traditional family spelling favored by some of his earlier ancestors. A memorial service will be held on Tuesday, July 30, 2019 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 709 S. Boston Ave, Tulsa, Oklahoma with the Reverend James Estes presiding. Inurnment will be held at Memorial Park Cemetery, Edmond, Oklahoma. Memorial contributions can be made to the Tulsa Opera, 1610 S. Boulder Ave., Tulsa, Oklahoma, 74119 or online at tulsaopera.com. Moore's Southlawn 918-663-2233

William Arthur Goff

August 30, 1929 - July 8, 2019