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GOFF, JENNIE JEROME REV. Reverend Jennie Jerome Goff died peacefully after a long illness, which she suffered with bravery and grace, surrounded by her husband, family and loved ones at her home in Bernalillo, Saturday, January 31st. Jennie was ordained as a minister of the Church of Religious Science in 2003, now Centers for Spiritual Living. She served as an assistant minister at Rio Grande CSL, and was involved in many activities there. Until her death, Jennie was the representative of the Spanish Language Ministry within the worldwide span of the Centers for Spiritual Living. Jennie was born in Saltzburg, Austria, February 23rd, 1953 where her parents, Robert and Jerome Gray, were stationed in the US Army. Her namesake was Jennie Jerome, a first cousin five generations removed, whose son was Winston Churchill. Jennie grew up in New Mexico and Wyoming as well as Mexico where she developed her lifelong connection to Latin American culture. She graduated from Natrona County High School in Casper, Wyoming in 1970. The following year Jennie's parents died tragically in a sailing accident on Pathfinder Lake in Wyoming. Their death when she was only eighteen was a central challenge in her life which she overcame through the love of her husband, her family and through her church. After graduating from the University of Wyoming she became a teacher in Ten Sleep and Rock Springs, Wyoming and in 1977 married the love of her life, Robert E. Goff. Within two weeks of getting married they were on their way to Mexico which was the first of many trips they took to Mexico and Europe. Jennie and Bob came back to Albuquerque to settle in the early 80's and later Jennie bought her grandmother, Ruth Corbett's insurance agency in 1983, when it became the Jennie Goff Agency. Bob Goff, an artist and builder, built their house in Bernalillo where they celebrated their love of her native New Mexico, surrounded by his paintings of New Mexican landscapes and their collections of Native American and Mexican artifacts. In the early nineties Jennie and Bob bought land in Llaves, New Mexico where Bob built another adobe house, this time with space for their horses, Wind Walker and Rain or Shine. It was a place to spend time with nieces, nephews, aunts and uncles hiking, camping and stargazing. The land had a deep spiritual meaning for Jennie and because of this she chose to share her retreat with many of her CSL family as well. Jennie is survived by her husband, Robert E. Goff of Bernalillo; her brother, Robert Gray and his wife Goody of Darien, CT; her sister Sandy Zemanek and her husband Bill of Los Lunas; as well as eight nieces and nephews: Lindsey, Andrew and Alex Zemanek, Priscilla, Robert and Harry Gray, Kristi Carbajal and Kerry Brando. She adored her uncles and aunts - Peter and Maja Biddle, Tony and Ramona Biddle, Kelley and Karen Corbett, Cynthia Lu Corbett and LeRoy Simmons, Marcia Gordon and Charles Corbett - and all of their children. There will be a celebration of her life on March 21st at 10 am at the Rio Grande Center for Spiritual Living, 4374 Alexander Blvd, NE, Albuquerque, NM. Memorial donations may be made to CSL's Spanish Language Ministry.
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