• Rubi Reyes •
• Originally published July 15, 2008 at 6:02 p.m., updated July 15, 2008 at 6:02 p.m.

After more than 40 years of neckties, buttoned up shirts and iron-creased pants, Jimmy Goodson is ready for retirement.

Goodson was only the third president for The Victoria College and served for 19 years; prior to that, he was president at South West Texas Junior College in Uvalde for 21 years.

One thing Goodson can’t wait to do is travel with his wife, Michelle.

“I’ve been to the East coast. I’ve been to the West coast. Now I’m ready to travel down the interior of the U.S.,” Goodson said.

The Goodsons have their trips planned out by months. They hope to visit Canada in August then travel down the California coast and head out to Ozark, Ala., by October and be in Connecticut and Massachusetts by Christmas.

“I don’t want to just stay in these places for a couple of days I want to be able to experience the culture,” Goodson said.

But his travels won’t stop there; he and his wife plan to go abroad in the spring.

“This is a new phase that I think we’re really going to enjoy,” Michelle said.

The Goodsons have been married for 45 years and are ready to enjoy retirement and the change that comes along with it.

Goodson’s daily schedule consists of waking up early and tending to his garden before he has to put on his tie and work attire to lead the college.

But at the end of July he’ll have more time to relax and enjoy the fresh air.

“As president, my time was rarely my time and I’m OK with that, but it’s going to be nice to be able to control my own time and not worry about schedules and meetings,” Goodson said.

He enjoyed meeting new people and being able to share his time with the college and the community, he said.

But he’s ready to start a new phase in his life.

“I’m looking forward to doing different things and being able to stay in my garden,” Goodson said.

Gardening is one of Goodson’s favorite pastimes. He said he loves to plant flowers that bloom.

“I tend to my garden in the morning before work or in the evening after work,” Goodson said.

But at the end of July he won’t have to rush off to get cleaned up for work. He will then be able to pass his day gardening or out seeing the world.

Rubi Reyes is a reporter for the Advocate. Contact her at 361-580-6578 or rreyes@vicad.com, or comment on this story at www.VictoriaAdvocate.com.

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