When John F. Goodwin was born in 1917 in Beverly, Massachusetts, his father, George, was 36 and his mother, Louisa, was 30. He had three brothers and two sisters. He married Sadie Ann York on April 23, 1942. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II as a Corporal in the 1st Reconnaissance Troop, 1st Infantry Division. He died on March 2, 1945 and is now buried in Henri-Chapelle American Cemetery, Hombourg, Belgium. He also has a mark in Saint Mary's Cemetery, Beverly, Essex County, Massachusetts, USA.