Val Smith Goodfellow

Val Goodfellow, a beloved father, husband, colleague, and friend passed away on July 30th at the age of 68 in Logan, Utah. 

Val was born in Bountiful, Utah in 1958 to Don and Joyce Goodfellow and attended Bountiful High School. Val lived all across the country throughout his life, before spending almost 25 years in Encinitas, California. Val returned to Utah in the final years of his life, living in Trenton. 

One of the happiest times in Val’s life was as a college student at Utah State University where he met his future wife, Paula Jensen, the week before his freshman year. At Utah State, he chose to study chemistry and obtained a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Michigan. Val then went on to a career in medicinal drug discovery working at a range of cutting edge companies starting with Bristol Myers Squibb and years later founded his own company Califia Bio. 

Val loved the outdoors, especially paddle sports like canoeing. He first learned to ski and canoe during his childhood in Bountiful. He went on to enjoy fishing and canoeing in Pennsylvania, served as a Cubmaster for his sons’ pack in Colorado, hiked the Grand Canyon in Arizona, and found his favorite sport—kayak surfing—after moving to San Diego. Many of his sons’ friends remember him as the leader of Cub Scouts trips canoeing in Colorado or fun adventures kayak surfing along the west coast everywhere from Mexico to Bolinas, California. 

Val traveled to many exciting places throughout his life. Val first traveled overseas when he visited Norway where he served his mission with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Visiting Norway sparked a lifelong interest in the country, culture, and language. He would later return to see the rest of the country with Paula. He was able to travel to countries all over the world, including Denmark, Sweden, Iceland, Italy, the UK, New Zealand, and Japan either for work or for leisure. 

Val had a lifelong love of music and played many instruments including lead guitar, mandolin, banjo, and piano. He played in bands in high school (one of which opened for Blue Oyster Cult), was active in bluegrass and folk music groups, played guitar and sang his kids to sleep, and in the last years of his life, he enjoyed playing music with his friend John Hiller from high school. 

Val was interested in bowmaking, having hunted for arrowheads near his home growing up in Bountiful. He was an avid woodworker and crafted bows for family and friends. 

Val was preceded in death by his parents, Don and Joyce Goodfellow. He is survived by a circle of his beloved family: his wife of 47 years, Paula, his sons Isaac (Ashley) of Portland, Oregon, and Ian (Daniela) of Mountain View, California, his grandsons, Dante and Marco, and his sister, Suzanne (Robert Charles Todd) and his beloved cat, Sven. 

A private memorial for friends and family will be held in the future. Val will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by his family and friends. 

If you would like to make a donation in Val’s memory, visit Bear River Land Conservancy at https://www.bearriverlandconservancy.org/donate  to preserve the rivers and lakes that Val loved.