Mr. Leon Steele Goodall, 90, of Columbia, died Tuesday, January 5, 2016. Born in Lebanon, TN on August 24, 1925, he was a son of the late William Thomas Goodall, Sr. and Effie Steele Goodall. Mr. Goodall grew up in Gallatin, TN, and in March, 1943, while he was still in high school, he enlisted as a Naval Aviation Cadet. He was not initially called to duty, and so he attended the University of Tennessee for one quarter, after which, he was assigned to the Naval V12 Program at the University of South Carolina. Following eight additional months of training with the Naval Supply Corps School at Harvard Business School, Mr. Goodall was commissioned and sent to the Pacific Theater where he served in China, Japan, and as the Supply Officer of the USS Rankin. Later, he was reassigned as a Naval Intelligence Officer.

Following his military service, Mr. Goodall attended the University of South Carolina where he attained a Bachelor's of Science in Business and an LLB in Law. In 1950, he was admitted to practice law, and shortly afterward, he entered the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent, serving as a resident agent in Wisconsin and later, in New York City.

Mr. Goodall returned to Columbia in 1953, and worked for the SC Tax Commission as a senior auditor for a brief period before joining the Allstate Insurance Company as an agent. He was promoted to a managerial position in Greensboro and later was Sales Development Manager for the Carolinas. In 1959, Mr. Goodall joined Colonial Life and Accident as Vice President and in 1970, was named President. He expanded the company throughout the United States and built a dynamic sales and home office operation that has become one of the major insurance companies in its field. The innovative concepts developed by Mr. Goodall were adopted by other companies throughout the nation, and his tireless efforts allowed Colonial Life to grow exponentially during the time of his leadership. In 1980, Mr. Goodall formed the Continental American Insurance Company where he served as Chairman and President until 1995, and he later served as Chairman Emeritus.

Mr. Goodall had a deep and abiding interest in helping students achieve their educational goals. He served on the Board of Directors for Columbia College for ten years, and was its Chairman for two years. From 1982 until 1990, he served on the Board of the State Museum Foundation, where he was Vice President of Finance. In 1990, he received the University of South Carolina Business School Distinguished Alumni Award, and from 1990 until 2001, he served on the Board of the SC Public Service Authority. During that time, he served on the Executive Committee, was Chair of the Finance Committee, and Vice Chairman of the Board. Mr. Goodall also served from 1992 until 2001 on the Palmetto Economic Development Board, and on the Executive Committee of the Central Santee Governing Board. With the leadership of Dr. Warren Irvin, Mr. Goodall was a co-founder of the Palmetto Forum, and in 1999, he received the Order of the Palmetto from South Carolina Governor James H. Hodges.

Mr. Goodall was a man of great faith and was a member of Washington Street United Methodist Church from the time of his marriage in 1949, and there he served as a member of the Administrative Board, as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, as Scoutmaster, and was an active member of the Traxler Class. Additionally, he was a member of the Forest Lake Club, Spring Valley Country Club, and the Palmetto Club. Mr. Goodall was vibrant – full of life and enthusiasm, and he will be greatly missed by the family and friends he leaves behind. The times he spent on his farm with his pet donkeys brought him great happiness, especially his favorite, Buster.

Mr. Goodall is survived by his loving wife, Mrs. Billie Rice Goodall of Columbia; son, D. Christian Goodall and wife, Linell Morrill Goodall of Columbia; daughter, Katherine Goodall Crosthwaite and husband, B. Keith Crosthwaite of Columbia; grandchildren, Elizabeth Goodall Hartley and husband, R. Charles Hartley, Margaret Rice Goodall, Anne Morrill Goodall, and John Goodall Crosthwaite all of Columbia, SC; brother, Robert H. Goodall, Sr. of Gallatin, TN; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by a brother, The Hon. William Thomas Goodall, Jr. of Gallatin, TN.

The memorial service for Mr. Goodall will be held at 2 o'clock, Friday, January 8th, at Washington Street United Methodist Church, Columbia, with The Rev. Dr. William R. Childs officiating. Honorary pallbearers are Mr. Walker Clarke, Mr. Edgar Hickman, Mr. John Roy Folsom, Mr. James Hudson, Mr. Lentz Ivey, Mr. James Kitchens, Dr. Tucker Lafitte, Jr., Mr. Spruce McCain, Mr. Grady Smith, Dr. Jack Smith, Mr. Pete Wardlaw, Mr. Kevin Welch, Dr. Frank Wyman, and Mr. James Young. A private burial will take place at Elmwood Cemetery. The family will receive friends from 5 until 7 o'clock, Thursday, at Shives Funeral Home, Trenholm Road Chapel, 7600 Trenholm Road Exn., Columbia, and at a reception in the church parlor, following the memorial service. Memorials may be made to The Washington Street United Methodist Church Foundation, 1401 Washington Street, Columbia, SC 29201; The American Red Cross, Central South Carolina Chapter, 2751 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201; and the Pawmetto Lifeline, 1275 Bower Parkway, Columbia, SC 29212.