Samuel Good, 71, who served as principal of Evergreen Park’s Central Junior High School for 20 years, died Wednesday at Christ Hospital and Medical Center in Oak Lawn, after suffering a stroke last month. Mr. Good began his nearly 50-year education career by teaching mathematics in central Illinois in 1951, said his wife, Kathryn.He also served in the Navy. Mr. Good graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University and earned advanced degrees in education from the University of Illinois. Mr. Good presided over a challenging time in Central Junior High’s history, as it scrambled to keep up with rapid growth in the 1970s and 1980s, educational assistant Kathy Hetczel said. Known for being “very student-oriented,” he created the student council and brought the school into an athletic league, she said. The president of the Illinois Principals Association in 1979 and ’80, Mr. Good also became certified as a referee and umpire for football, basketball and baseball games, his wife said. He retired in 1989. In addition to his wife, survivors include two sons, Sam Jr. and David; two daughters, Diane Smith and Sarah; a sister, Doris Kephart; and six grandchildren. Visitation will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday at Donnellan Funeral Home, 10525 S. Western Ave., where a memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday.
