Robert Goggin Obituary, Death – Robert ‘Bob’ Goggin of Wayne, Pennsylvania, previously of Bryn Mawr and Philadelphia died on July 3, 2022, at the age of 85. Bob Goggin was a true gentleman. He devoted his time and energy to the many people he cared about and causes he believed were important.
He brought his razor-sharp intellect, kind heart, puritan work ethic, and quick wit to all his endeavors, big and small. Professionally, socially, and within his own family, he brought order to chaos, reason to serious issues, assistance to those in need, and a smile in dark times.
Jane Gallagher Goggin, Bob’s wife of 61 years, was his life’s love. Bob, one of two children from the Olney neighborhood of Philadelphia, fell in love with Jane, one of six children from South Philadelphia. An unlikely love story. Bob, a USAF ROTC cadet at St. Joseph’s College, was scheduled to be deployed after graduation. This would have harmed his fledgling relationship with Jane. Law school granted a deferral.
They married after graduation and were stationed in France for several years. Jane and Bob treasured this period in their lives because they had never ventured far from the city before. In their house, the “Jane and Bob” do Europe stories never got old, including the one about Jane losing her passport on the wrong side of “Check Point Charlie.”
Captain Goggin left the USAF to work in the criminal division of the US Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia, after which he joined a small five-person private law practice also in Philadelphia.
Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin had grown into a multi-state, multi-disciplinary practice with over one hundred lawyers when Bob retired. Bob’s claim to fame was winning the first defense verdict in a nationwide asbestos case.
This contributed to the firm gaining a monopoly in Johns Manville asbestos defense litigation. Bob enjoyed being a litigator, but he also enjoyed mentoring the firm’s other lawyers. He brought a sense of reason to an otherwise brutal game, and he took great pride in seeing those he mentored succeed.
Bob Goggin’s wit was legendary. His ability to turn any situation into a comedy or to turn a legal argument from sublime to ridiculous caused many jurors, judges, lawyers, and civilians to burst out laughing in court, and friends to slap a knee over cocktails.
Bob adored and looked up to his parents, Bob and Sally Goggin, as well as his sister Connie and brother-in-law Joe Stark. Jane, Robert III, Suzanne, Garrett, Peter, Brendan, Keenan, and Sarah are the children of Bob and Jane. Despite his hectic schedule, he always made time for his children and others.
His loving, calm, and rational demeanor while dealing with the insanity that comes with having eight children is a testament to his ability to draw on his love first and his anger second. And he was put to the test! When it came to his children, his mantra was “to soften my boys and harden my girls.”
Throughout the years, his devotion to Jane was the gravitational force that drew family and friends close. Despite being ravaged by Alzheimer’s disease in his final years, which severely impaired his speech, the only phrases he consistently remembered were “Jane,” “thank you,” and “I love you.”
Bob is survived by a loving wife, eight children, seventeen grandchildren, and numerous friends.
Many people’s lives have been shattered by Bob’s death. He truly was a “shelter in the storm.”
His dedication to his numerous causes also leaves an appropriate legacy. Bob has served on the boards of several organizations, including St. Joseph’s Prep, Saint Joseph’s University, Sacred Heart Academy, and Overbrook Golf Club.
Bob’s opus, “My Children Would Never Do That,” which he had threatened to write for decades, has yet to be published!
Relatives and friends are invited to his viewing Friday evening from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at The D’Anjolell Memorial Home of Broomall, 2811 West Chester Pike, 19008, followed by his Funeral Mass at 10:00 am at St. Katherine of Siena, 104 S. Aberdeen Ave., Wayne, PA 19087.