Thomas McLeod Goforth

Thomas McLeod Goforth, 71, widower of Caroline Ratterree Goforth, died Monday, February 26, 2018 at St. Francis Hospital Downtown Greenville, SC.

Tom was born in Rock Hill, SC and was a son of Sarah McLeod Goforth of Rock Hill and the late Harry Butler Goforth. He graduated from Clemson University with a Bachelors of Science in Geology and later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from Clemson. After graduation Tom served the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Officer Corps as a Lieutenant (junior grade). He was a life long educator in SC and retired with 28+ years of service. Notable among his duties as a teacher are the Sea Island School for the Arts he created and directed in Beaufort County and the gifted and talented program he lead for students at Pickens Elementary. After "retirement", he delved into the world of native ferns and opened Crowdog Native Ferns and Gardens. He continued his path as an educator, sharing his knowledge of native ferns up and down the eastern part of the US and beyond.

Surviving in addition to his mother are his son, Dr. Reuben R. Goforth and wife, Laura Ann Esman of West Lafayette, Indiana; brother, Harry Butler Goforth, Jr. of London, England; sisters, Nancy Hanes Neely of Columbia, SC, Martha Blackwell of Rock Hill, SC and Mary Lou Wright of Weaverville, NC; and granddaughter, Anna Caroline Goforth.

Memorial services will be held at Table Rock State Park Lodge at 2:00 PM on Tuesday, March 6, 2018. Friends, colleagues, and family are invited to gather before and after the service. Dress is at the discretion of attendees.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to his favorite charitable organizations, including Doctors Without Borders, Heifer International, UNICEF, and South Carolina Educational Television.

Condolences may be expressed online at www.robinsonfuneralhomes.com or at Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home, Central, SC.