January 25, 2019

NYS Supreme Court, NY County

MESSAGE FROM JOHN WERNER: (Chief Clerk, NYS Supreme Court, New York County)
 
Sorrowful Announcement is made of the death today of the Hon. Norman Goodman - “Norman” to one and all - former County Clerk of New York County.
 
Norman was very much an institution in our New York State Court System and as you see from the timeline he commenced his career in the Court System in 1966, long before the advent of the “Unified Court System” and the Office of Court Administration which were products of a NYS constitutional amendment effective April 1^st, 1977.
 
The timeline was prepared in 2008 in connection with a program held that year in the great rotunda of 60 Centre Street which program featured the 19^th century “civic center movement” (of which Foley Square is a product) and the architectural history of 60 Centre Street. As is evident from this timeline, and as we know, Norman worked with countless Chief Judges; Presiding Justices of the Appellate Division, First Department; Chief Administrative Judges; Administrative Judges of the Supreme Court, Civil Branch, New York County; countless Judges, County Clerks, and staff in our own court and far beyond.  And of course the timeline below concludes in 2008 and Norman continued on his rounds in our court until his retirement on December 31^st, 2014.
 
Norman loved “60 Centre Street” and he devoted much time and energy engaged in the ongoing effort to preserve this landmark courthouse. It is fair to fair to say that Norman’s career found him circulating in many important, influential circles, including the legal culture and Bar Associations of our great city and state (and in perhaps some not so important and influential circles too, but fun nonetheless!!); the world of academia (a very proud alumni/Alumni Board Member of New York University (undergraduate at the “Heights,” and NYU Law School); and the world of New York City/State politics. He was always an avid reader, inveterate sports fan, intellectually curious and well informed on even the most esoteric subjects. He was very committed to the historical archives of the New York County Clerk and interested in the history of the New York Court System. An original Board member of the Historical Society of the New York Courts, he worked on many projects (including jury projects) with former Chief Judge Judith Kaye and former Associate Judge of the Court of Appeals Albert Rosenblatt, founders and very much the original moving force - and in Judge Rosenblatt’s case continuing  - behind that very laudable Historical Society. In 2009 that Society prepared an “oral history” in which Norman recounts his career and commendable life doings; for those interested in however much thereof that oral history can be found at the Historical Society’s website at http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/history-oral-histories.html#normangoodman.  Norman practically grew up in the court system with Betty Weinberg Ellerin and Jonathon Lippman practically grew up in the court system with Norman.
 
I attach a most engaging picture (which Linda Arnone shares with us) of Norman taken in happier times: cheerful/ smiling and quintessentially Norman.
 
Norman’s wife Penny died a year or so ago; our sincerest condolences to Norman’s daughters, Susan and Nancy; to Norman’s younger brother, Robert “Bob” Goodman; and to the entire Goodman family.
 
Norman will be missed!!