Robert Oscar “Bob” Goff, 91, of Luray, Va., passed away on Sunday, June 6, 2021.
Robert Oscar “Bob” Goff
He was born on December 6, 1929, in Saltville, Va., one of eight children of Arthur Lee Goff, Sr., and Rosa Mae Cuddy Goff. His formative years were spent in Glade Spring, Va., where he graduated from Glade Spring High School.
Bob served in the United States Army from 1948 to 1951. He was a graduate of Emory and Henry College (1955, BA); T. C. Williams School of Law at the University of Richmond (1961, JD); American University (1966, MA); Catholic University (1977, Ph.D. in political science). He was a member of the Flint Hill Baptist Church, Flint Hill, Va., where he served as pastor for several years.
Bob was privileged to have a distinguished career, beginning with the Federal Trade Commission from 1961 to 1963. His investigations with that agency included Standard Oil Company and Safeway Stores in San Francisco, Calif. In 1963, he joined the United States Department of Treasury. There he had duties relating to the Bureau of the Mint, becoming an authority for that agency on counterfeiting laws. He also worked with the United States Coast Guard and was an advisor to the Treasury General Counsel and provided legal assistance to the United States Secret Service. After the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Bob was selected to serve as the first Chief Legal Counsel of the newly formed legal division of the Secret Service. He served through five presidential administrations. As part of his responsibilities, he drafted legislation that provided Secret Service protection for presidential wives and their children. After the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, Bob also drafted legislation to guarantee Secret Service protection for presidential candidates.
Bob’s non-government career included serving as an adjunct professor, teaching periodically at American University, George Washington University, and the Northern Virginia Community College. He also authored manuals and taught courses for, the Secret Service training programs and at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. In addition, he wrote the manual of Criminal Procedure for the Secret Service Training Test. In 1997, Bob proudly practiced law with his son, Arthur, in Luray, Va.
He was admitted to practice law before all courts in Virginia, including the Supreme Court of Virginia; the District of Columbia Court of Appeals; the U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, Eastern & Western Districts; and the Supreme Court of the United States of America.
In addition to his parents, Bob is preceded in death by three sisters and four brothers. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Florence Randall Goff; his son, Arthur Lee Goff, daughter-in-law, Kelly Ann Goff, his grandson, Carter Randall Goff of Rappahannock County; and his daughter, Jennifer Anne Goff of Page County. He is also survived by numerous greatly loved nieces and nephews.
A funeral service will be held at the Flint Hill Baptist Church in Flint Hill, Va., on Saturday, June 12, 2021, at 11 a.m. followed by a reception at Washington Baptist Church in Washington, Va. The final interment will be held at Beahm’s Chapel Cemetery Pavilion in Luray, Va., at 2:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family would appreciate any donations to be made to Autism Speaks.
Maddox Funeral Home, Front Royal, Va., is in charge of arrangements, condolence messages may be sent to www.maddoxfuneralhome.com.
A Celebration of Life service will be held at a later date.
