Maria "Pili" Goddard

Maria “Pili” Goddard, 84, passed away in Riverside, California on December 15, 2023, following post-operative complications.

Pili was born on June 6, 1939, in Cadiz, Spain; the second of five children to Ricardo Chain and Rafaela Marquez. Pili and her family lived in Seville, Spain where she became a secretary for the Spanish Air Force due to her proficiency in English. She spent her summers with her siblings and cousins in Cadiz and the countryside town of Medina. She was with one of her cousins at a sidewalk café in Cadiz where she met an American Marine stationed in Rota who would later become her husband. Robert “Bob” Goddard and Pili married less than a year later, on September 28, 1963, in Seville. They later moved to the United States where Bob was stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. Soon thereafter, they welcomed a daughter, Sally in August 1964. A year later, they welcomed another daughter, Patricia in September 1965.

The Marine Corps would bring them to Camp Pendleton in Southern California where they welcomed two more children; Ricardo in May 1968 and Dominique in August 1974.

Pili was passionate about the Right to Life movement. She was a counselor for mothers who were contemplating abortion. She tirelessly advocated for the babies who had no voice of their own.

Pili worked for the school district teaching ESL and later worked for the California Department of Corrections for twenty years. Pili has always been involved in her church and for the last ten years, Cursillo where she met so many wonderful people.

Pili had a magnetic personality and had many friends who adored her. She always looked forward to traveling to Spain every year for Holy Week and to visit family.

She is survived by her four children: Sally (Larri) Palmer, Patricia Goddard, Ricardo (Leticia) Goddard, and Dominique (Mark) Almeida, ten grandchildren, Kevin, Sarah, Alexis, Jordan, Brandon, Dylan, Jaden, Luke, Sada, and Antwon, one great-grandchild, Atlas, and her sister, Maria “Mila” Skelly.

The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider donating to the Right to Life League in honor of Pili.

righttolifeleague.org